Travel conditions are improving across the state, however, there is still a lot of work to be done.
According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, crews have made significant process in reopening major state roads and highways since “record-breaking snowfall totals” blanketed the state over the past weekend. KDOT Engineer Steve Baalman says “in a broad sense” the series of events that unfolded with the recent winter storm is not entirely what led to the closure of most major highways, but rather the sequence in which they unfolded.
Despite the drastic improvement and reopening of several roads across the state as of Monday, Baalman is still discouraging non-emergent travel until at least midday Tuesday.
Most major highways that run through the KVOE listening area remain partially to completely snow-covered as of Monday afternoon with only one section of roadway, Kansas Highway 177 from Strong City to Cassoday, still closed.
KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will continue to bring you updates on travel conditions as needed.
4:05 am Monday: WEATHER: Major highways still closed across east-central, northeast Kansas
If you’re planning to travel, this may not be your day.
State and federal highways in northeast, east-central and central Kansas remain closed after a powerful winter storm brought a combination of ice, snow and wind to the state over the weekend.
Kandrive.gov says the following highways are closed across the KVOE listening area:
*US Highway 50 west of Emporia
*US Highway 56
*US Highway 75 north of BETO Junction
*Kansas Highway 78
*Kansas Highway 99 north of Madison
*Kansas Highway 130
*Kansas Highway 150
*Kansas Highway 170
*Kansas Highway 177
Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says the storm progression set us up for our current travel situation.
Cleared roads continue to drift shut outside the Emporia city limits. In town, Public Works has bladed the main arterials and residential collector, or more heavily-traveled, streets. Side streets don’t get plowed by the city, and they are blanketed by snow. Director Dean Grant says the city is using a special salt to combat the snow and ice.
Numerous schedule adjustments were reported through the weekend, and more are in place for Monday. Click here for KVOE’s Closings & Cancellations page.
Several injury crashes were reported in Lyon County, all within a 90-minute window Saturday:
*Just before noon, a wreck developed at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 118, or nine miles southwest of the Emporia tollgate. Emporia Fire Capt. Wade Schmidt says three passenger vehicles and two semis were in a ditch. Nobody was transported.
*As law enforcement and emergency crews finished that call, they were dispatched to KTA mile marker 119, or eight miles southwest of the Emporia gate. Three vehicles apparently collided. Nobody was transported.
*An Emporia woman was hurt in a crash at Roads 175 and X shortly after noon. Lyon County Deputy Tom Hardin says Fareda Gallager, age 64, had to be extricated from her vehicle before she was taken to Newman Regional Health with suspected serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Hardin says Gallagher lost control of her vehicle in slick conditions before it spun and rolled.
*Shortly before 1:30 pm, a crash involving eight vehicles transpired at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 145, or 18 miles northeast of the Emporia gate and two miles southwest of the Admire tollbooth. Schmidt says four semis, two passenger vehicles, a box truck and a KTA snowplow were involved. A driver in an unspecified semi was extricated and taken to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka with suspected serious injuries.
Power outages started developing late Saturday night, and at one point over 2,300 Evergy customers were without power. That number is under 30 areawide, all currently in Greenwood or eastern Butler counties. Evergy District Services Manager Rolland Trahoon II conditions are still hampering restoration efforts.
If you have schedule adjustments to report, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email KVOE@KVOE.com.
Cold weather advisories continue areawide until 11 am with air temperatures struggling to get to 15 degrees and morning wind chills anywhere from -6 to -16.
If you have not signed up for KVOE social media alerts, go to Facebook@kvoenews, Instagram@kvoenews, YouTube@kvoenews and X@kvoeam1400.
*Click here for KVOE News’ prior news stories from the storm.
*Click here for KVOE’s YouTube channel, including updates from the KVOE News team.
