‘Closed until further notice’: Part of I-70 into downtown Kansas City remains shut down
A part of westbound Intestate 70 remained closed Friday morning after a deadly encampment fire damaged a highway bridge, forcing a heavily traveled route into downtown Kansas City to be closed “until further notice.”
The closure was causing traffic to back up along I-70 near Van Brunt Boulevard early in the morning rush hour, according to Kansas City Scout traffic cameras. Drivers were encouraged to find an alternate route around the closure near 18th Street in the Benton Curve.
Commuters were being urged to exit I-70 at the Interstate 435 interchange to get around the closure. Local traffic was being allowed to exit at the 18th Street exit and use city streets through neighborhoods to get around the closure, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Kansas City District offices.
The highway is closed while crews inspect a bridge that was damaged when a fire swept through a homeless encampment beneath an I-70 overpass in the area.
Kansas City firefighters responded to the blaze around 6 a.m. near Indiana Avenue and Truman road under an I-70 bridge where they found heavy smoke and flames.
While they were investigating the cause of the fire, fire crews found a body. Kansas City police were called to the scene, who later said the victim was an adult and no foul play was immediately suspected.
MoDOT crews also responded to the area Thursday to check out the structural integrity of the bridge, fearing that the bridge was weakened by the intense heat of the flames.
The fire has enraged the houseless community who are calling on Kansas City to do more to help those in need.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 7:04 AM.
