Traffic entering the Kansas Turnpike headed south from Emporia had to take an unusual detour Saturday night.
A semi using the southbound onramp to the highway rolled off the ramp around 2:30 pm. Troopers say the load of semi batteries shifted, causing the truck to tip over.
For about an hour, the Kansas Turnpike Authority sent drivers north five miles to the Emporia service area. Travelers then used the Turnpike to go south past the wreck and resulting cleanup.
No injuries were reported. Emporia’s Hazmat unit was not needed as part of the cleanup effort.
6:15 pm Saturday: Emporia tollgate’s southbound onramp closed after semi crash
Traffic set to go southbound on the Kansas Turnpike from the Emporia tollgate will have an unusual detour Saturday evening, thanks to a crash that happened late in the afternoon hours.
A semi using the southbound onramp to the highway rolled off the ramp. The cause behind the crash is currently unclear. No injuries have been reported.
The onramp is closed so workers can upright the semi and clean up the area. The Kansas Turnpike Authority’s plan is to send drivers initially planning to use that southbound onramp to go north on the highway to the Emporia service area five miles north of the tollgate. Drivers will then go south on the highway to avoid the cleanup zone.
Early indications are it may be 7 pm before traffic returns to normal and the southbound onramp is available for use. Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
