COLUMBIA, MISSOURI — A semi-truck struck a concrete barrier and rolled onto its side under an overpass on westbound Interstate 70 in Columbia Tuesday morning, closing the highway for approximately two and a half hours during an active construction zone at the I-70 and Highway 63 interchange.
The crash was reported at 8:01 a.m. near exit 128A. A MoDOT spokesperson confirmed the truck hit a concrete barrier, moving it out of place. No damage was reported to the overpass structure. A tow truck was working to flip the truck upright around 9:10 a.m. Columbia Fire and Police both responded. The lanes reopened around 10 a.m. Traffic backed up for several miles toward Kansas City.
Improve I-70 Program Director Eric Kopinski said the response was swift. “We had extraordinary response from fire, EMS and police. They were able to clear the crash within about 2.5 hours. So the delays to the construction work were very minimal,” he said.
Kopinski noted that approximately 72,000 vehicles travel through the interchange daily, and with college football season underway, that number will increase. He urged drivers to slow down and pay attention when construction signs are posted.
Drivers in the Columbia area should also be aware that westbound I-70 in the same area will be shut down the weekend of September 11 through 13 to set remaining girders. Eastbound I-70 will remain open with free flow movement, but anyone trying to access the connector or travel westbound from Highway 63 should expect delays and plan accordingly.
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