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Eisenhower Reopened After Storm Caused Flooding In Broadview

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Road crewswere out on the Eisenhower Expressway on Wednesday to investigate what caused the roadway to flood so badly in west suburban Broadview, forcing authorities to close part of the interstate for more than seven hours.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports traffic was backed up for miles Tuesday night on the Eisenhower, after a powerful storm swept through the area, flooding the expressway at 25th Avenue in Broadview. Several inches of standing water covered all lanes and shoulders of the roadway for hours, and the water did not drain away until long after the storm had passed.

Illinois State Police closed I-290 near 25th Avenue around 7:10 p.m. Squad cars and Illinois Department of Transportation tow trucks blocked the highway in both directions.

Police said at least one car was stranded in the standing water. The flooding forced police to divert vehicles off the Eisenhower, creating huge traffic backups that stretched for miles.

CBS 2's Chris Martinez reports IDOT crews discovered a collapsed storm sewer, which is believed to have caused the flooding.

The ramp at 25th Avenue will close at 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

A powerful storm Tuesday evening brought wind gusts of up to 50 mph and dumped more than 2 ½ inches of rain in an hour.

"It appeared to be one of the drains was actually somehow either obstructed or clogged, and it was determined one of the best things to do at that point in time was to try to divert that water by pumping it into a different drain line," said Illinois State Police Sgt. Dominick Falcone. "As that was being done, it was basically just a matter of time of watching the water recede until we could open up all the lanes."

Some drivers were stuck on the Eisenhower for up to four hours before they managed to get off. Portions of the Eisenhower were shut down for 7 hours 40 minutes before all lanes reopened. The first outbound lanes reopened by about 1:30 a.m., though all outbound lanes did not reopen until about 2:30. Inbound lanes reopened about the same time.

The same storm system that flooded the expressway also created a number of funnel clouds in the area, though none of them touched down, and all quickly dissipated.

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