All lanes now open on Interstate 70 at Sorrels Overpass

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A lane of Interstate 70 reopened at a damaged overpass just west of Columbia on Wednesday.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said Wednesday morning that the closed westbound lane at Sorrels Overpass had reopened. Crews finished work to stabilize the overpass, which was damaged when a raised boom on a Waste Management truck hit it Monday. The truck driver suffered serious injuries but his condition has improved.

The closure has caused significant delays on I-70 westbound through Columbia since Monday. MoDOT had said it hoped to reopen the lane by Thursday, but the work was finished early.

MoDOT said it had also reopened the I-70 entrance ramp from Stadium, which was closed Tuesday to reduce traffic backups.

The overpass will need to be torn down and rebuilt after the damage from the crash. MoDOT expects to start that project as early as next week, according to the agency's website. It is estimated to cost about $1 million. The overpass will remain closed in the meantime.

The aging overpass was already in bad shape and scheduled for rehabilitation. MoDOT had given it a "poor" rating.

Check back for updates to this developing story.