Subzero temperatures last week started again sweeping through the Midwest and other areas as part of what has been dubbed as “Polar Vortex Part 2.” (The first Polar Vortex hit much of the country in early January, bringing temps as cold as minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit with the wind chill in Chicago and close to the single digits even in areas of the South.)
To assist motorists who may be stranded in their cars during the severely cold weather and dangerous wind chills with this current subzero weather, the Illinois Tollway has launched a Zero Weather Road Patrol initiative.
There are a minimum of 11 Zero Weather Road Patrols, at least one from each of the Tollway’s maintenance garages located throughout the system, according to the Illinois Tollway Authority.
“With the severe cold weather and extreme wind chills, we want our customers to stay with their vehicles if they become stranded and not try to go for help,” Kristi Lafleur, Illinois Tollway executive director, said in a written statement. “Our Zero Weather Road Patrols are only a phone call away and ready to assist drivers who need help during these dangerous conditions.”
The special patrol is comprised of crew cab trucks equipped with arrow boards for directing traffic around accidents or stranded vehicles and enough room to accommodate up to five passengers if motorists need to be transported to a Tollway maintenance garage, toll plaza or Tollway oasis while service is obtained.