There will be repairs at a later time after an oversized load hit the Kansas Turnpike bridge over US Highway 50 in west Emporia last week, but they likely won’t be near the scope of the renovations needed after a similar incident almost 16 months ago.
KTA spokesperson Jeri Biehler says there was minor damage after Friday’s crash. The sustained damage does not affect short-term integrity, so repair times will be set later “to extend the bridge’s operational lifespan.”
In April 2025, an overheight load cut through several I-beams on the underside of the bridge deck. Traffic on both the KTA and US-50 was constricted before and during repairs, which lasted for several months. Traffic was back to normal shortly after Friday’s incident.
