Police Shut Down Edens Expressway Exit Ramps To Deter Looting

WINNETKA, IL — State police announced the closure of more than a dozen expressway exit ramps in the Chicago area for a fourth consecutive day Tuesday in response to an outbreak of looting and property damage in the city and suburbs.

North suburban police departments have implemented closures on the Edens Expressway. Skokie police have requested the closure of exit ramps to Old Orchard Road periodically since Sunday. Glenview police said Lake Avenue exits, also first closed Saturday, would be closed until further notice out of an abundance of caution.

Northfield police are closing all Edens exit ramps in both directions from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. every night through Sunday, as Wilmette and Winnetka police coordinate to reduce the risk of looting and property damage to North Shore business and residential districts, according to village officials.

Exits from Route 41 to Park Avenue West, Clavey Road, eastbound Central Avenue and westbound Deerfield Road will close nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice, Highland Park city staff announced. Exits to Lake Cook Road would remain open.

"Many surrounding communities continue to experience opportunistic groups (varying sizes) who are committing burglaries, thefts and damage to property," Kyle Murphy, Wilmette police chief, said in a statement. "Some of these groups have found their way near and through our town, which we have been able to quickly identify through a visible police presence, thereby preventing any property damage or looting in Wilmette."

Police said they worked with Wilmette shopping center operators to close early and barricade entrances to parking lots to deter potential looting. Evanston police reported multiple instances of looting, including two at the Best Buy at 2301 Howard Street.

Skokie police said they requested assistance from a suburban SWAT team but declined to say how many instances of looting were reported in the village over the weekend, although a spokesperson said there had been no confirmed shootings or instances of carjacking. It was not clear how long the department would seek to impose the ramp closures. The spokesperson said they would continue "only if deemed necessary in the future."

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In addition to the closure of all exit ramps between 18th Street to Division Street on I-90/94 the following ramp closures were in place Tuesday morning, according to Illinois State Police:

• I-88 E/B and W/B ramps to IL-59
• I-90 W/B to Genoa Rd
• I-90 W/B to Irene Rd
• I-94 N/B and S/B ramp to 159th
• I-94 N/B and S/B ramps to Sibley E/B
• I-80 E/B and W/B at Torrence
• I-94 N/B and S/B to Lake Street
• I-94 N/B and S/B ramps to Old Orchard Road
• I-290 E/B to Congress
• I-94 N/B ramp to Congress
• I-90 N/B ramp to Ohio
• I-90 S/B to Ohio

As of 2:20 p.m., state police had re-opened all Edens Expressway exit ramps. The following remained closed:

I-90 Entrance and Exit Ramps Northbound Ramps (Outbound) at:

• Madison, Randolph, Ohio, Augusta/Milwaukee

and Southbound (Inbound) at:

• Ogden/Racine, Ohio, Randolph, Washington, Madison, Monroe and Adams

I-55 Exit Ramps Northbound at:

• 55 N/B to Lake Shore Drive Ramp
• Ontario/Orleans Feeder
• Congress and Wells

Updated emergency road or ramp closure information may be available from the Illinois Department of Transportation.