Early Monday morning, a pedestrian was struck and killed on the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), causing major shutdowns and delays in both inbound and outbound lanes, NBC Chicago reports. The victim, an adult male, was hit around 4:20 a.m. by an SUV, according to the Illinois State Police. The collision sent the pedestrian from the outbound into the inbound lanes, further complicating the morning commute.
The incident led to significant traffic backups, with diversions put in place at 9th Avenue for outbound traffic and 25th Avenue for inbound, respectively, as per the same report. Drive times swelled, reaching up to 75 minutes inbound and 90 minutes outbound at one point. Lisa Chavarria of NBC 5 advised commuters saying, "If this is your route in, do not take the Eisenhower Expressway."
Investigations continued through the morning, prolonging the expressway's closure and affecting countless travelers. Photographs and videos from the scene depicted extensive traffic congestion and a severely damaged SUV. Both sides of the expressway were rendered impassable for hours as state vehicles dotted the highway among the halted cars.
The lanes reopened at approximately 8:45 a.m., with the Illinois State Police confirming the reopening of the expressway in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, and details regarding the identity of the individual have not been released. Authorities have yet to provide any additional information about the driver involved in the incident.
