Frigid temperatures caused some railroad-crossing gates and switches on two Metra commuter lines to malfunction during the Monday evening rush hour, causing delays and traffic backups.
Metra’s Milwaukee North line experienced the worst problems, with crossing gates malfunctioning at Howard, Devon, Caldwell and Central Avenues between 4:27 p.m. and 6:13 p.m., said Audrey Renteria, a Metra spokeswoman. The gates at Howard malfunctioned twice, staying stuck in the down position.
In addition to problems with gates, the Milwaukee North and North Central lines also had malfunctioning switches, Renteria said.
