Freezing drizzle, bitter cold turn Kansas City roads icy across the metro area
Crashes started to pile up and highways shut down during Kansas City’s commute Friday morning after freezing drizzle turned roads icy across the metro.
Westbound Interstate 70 headed into downtown Kansas City was closed at the Paseo Boulevard about 6:45 a.m. after a series of crashes. Traffic was at a standstill in the Benton Curve and backed up beyond Van Brunt Boulevard.
Meanwhile, southbound Interstate 635 was shut down at Interstate 29 due to numerous crashes to south I-29, the Riverside Fire Department said shortly after 6 a.m. on X, formerly known as Twitter. The highway reopened shortly after 7:30 a.m.
“Freezing drizzle continues across the area making conditions slick,” the Missouri Department of Public Safety said on X. “Be cautious if you have to travel this morning, especially on bridges and overpasses.”
RideKC announced that extremely slick conditions throughout the region was impacting travel. RideKC Freedom, Micro Transit, IRIS and Flex services moved to Phase C, which means riders should expect delays of more than one hour. Riders were encouraged to cancel non-essential trips.
Drivers were urged to go slow, allow extra time to get to their destination, put the phone down and buckle up if they had to head out into the weather. Better yet, stay home if travel isn’t essential.
Here’s a list of crashes as of 7:15 a.m.:
- Southbound Missouri 9 highway past Briarcliff Parkway: 2 vehicle crash at 7 a.m.
- Northbound Interstate 35 at Parvin Road: Crash at 5:55 a.m.
- Northbound I-35 near Interstate 435: Crash at 5:55 a.m.
- Westbound I-435 at State Line Road: Crash at 6 a.m.
- Northbound Interstate 470 to eastbound I-70: Crash at 6:20 a.m.
- Westbound Interstate 670 near 13th Street: Crash at 6:30 a.m.
- Eastbound I-70 at 23rd Street: Crash at 5:45 a.m.
- Southbound Bruce R. Watkins Drive/U.S. 71 highway: Two vehicle crash at 6 a.m.
As of 10 a.m. Friday, troopers from Missouri Highway Patroil’s Troop A had responded to 69 total calls, including 35 stranded motorists and 10 crashes, all non-injury, the highway patrol said on X.
This story was originally published January 12, 2024 at 7:36 AM.
