Dump truck strikes overhead sign on I-35 in JoCo. How long will it take to replace it?
It could take months for a sign truss to be replaced after a construction vehicle with a raised bed struck it, sending it crashing down onto Interstate 35 in Merriam, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Transportation said.
The crash occurred overnight along I-35 near Johnson Drive in Johnson County. The highway’s southbound lanes were closed for four-and-a-half hours while crews worked to remove the truss, which contained a message board for the KC Scout traffic management system, said Delany Tholen, a spokesperson for KDOT’s Kansas City metro area.
One lane of the highway reopened shortly before 5 a.m., according to the Merriam Police Department’s Facebook page. All lanes of the highway were cleared and reopened shortly before 6 a.m.
It could take up to six months to repair the truss and get it lifted back into place, depending upon materials and contractor availability, Tholen said.
The crash occurred because the construction’s vehicle was raised rather than lowered, Tholen said. She said KDOT’s legal team will work with the vehicle’s owner to determine responsibility.
