A bomb squad investigation shut down lanes on the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago's west suburbs Thursday morning, blocking traffic in both directions between 25th Avenue and Wolf Road and sending a massive backup across the highway.
The disruption began around 10 a.m. and quickly spread beyond the main lanes. Illinois State Police said they were investigating between Mannheim Road and Interstate 294, while closures also hit Mannheim Road to Interstate 290, Mannheim Road over Interstate 290 and the eastbound Interstate 88 ramp to eastbound Interstate 290.
At the center of the scene was an SUV sitting in a middle lane with its windows blown out, prompting a response from a bomb squad unit from the Cook County Sheriff's Office. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded, but what led up to the investigation was not immediately available. The public was urged to avoid the area as drivers were pushed onto Roosevelt Road, 31st Street and Cermak Avenue.
The closures were expected to last longer, and that uncertainty was the immediate problem for commuters: a major expressway was partially frozen while investigators worked to determine why the SUV was damaged and what, if anything, it meant for traffic on one of the west suburbs' busiest routes.
