The Illinois Tollway activated 24-hour Hot Weather Patrols on Monday, July 13, deploying a minimum of 12 additional crew trucks from its Downers Grove-based operations to find and assist stranded motorists as heat indices climb toward 100 degrees.

The patrols will run around the clock through the week as the Downers Grove area faces highs of 96°F on Tuesday, July 15, and 95°F on both Wednesday, July 16, and Thursday, July 17. The National Weather Service forecasts peak heat indices near 100 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, including across the western suburbs.

"For a second time this summer we have activated Hot Weather Patrols on the Illinois Tollway to expand our roadway coverage and provide additional assistance to ensure driver safety," Cassaundra Rouse, Illinois Tollway executive director, said in a Monday media release. "Additional patrols during this dangerously hot weather allow us to rapidly locate any stranded drivers and respond to drivers who call *999 for help as quickly as possible."

The patrol trucks are crew cab vehicles equipped with arrow boards to direct traffic around disabled cars. They can carry passengers to a Tollway maintenance garage or an air-conditioned oasis if a motorist needs to escape the heat while waiting for service.

The standard Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (H.E.L.P.) trucks operate only from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Hot Weather Patrols fill the overnight and weekend gaps, responding to empty fuel tanks, flat tires, dead batteries, and overheated radiators.

This is the second activation of the summer. The Tollway first deployed the patrols from late June through the Fourth of July weekend, when more than 800 motorists received assistance across the system during highs of 94 to 95 degrees.

What to do if you break down

Motorists stranded on any Illinois Tollway road can dial *999 from a cell phone for roadside assistance. The Tollway advises drivers to note their roadway, direction of travel, and nearest milepost or crossroad, then turn on emergency flashers and stay with their vehicle until a patrol arrives.

The Hinsdale Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) offers fuel and a 7-Eleven for drivers who want to check their vehicle or take a break before conditions worsen. Additional oases with pavilions or fuel stations are located at Lake Forest, South Holland, DeKalb, and Belvidere along other Tollway routes.

No specific end date for the patrols has been announced. The Tollway's media release described the activation as running "throughout this week."