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WEDNESDAY WINTER STORM UPDATES: 18-wheeler removal shuts down I-70 from St. Charles to Highway 63 connector

February 2, 2022 11:40 PM

Published February 2, 2022 2:59 AM

Watch live updates in the player above.

Update 11:38 p.m.:

Boone County Joint Communications is reporting that Interstate 70 is shut down from St. Charles to the Highway 63 connector to remove a tractor-trailer from the median.

Update 8:40 p.m.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This entry has been corrected to say troopers responded to nearly 300 calls.

Missouri State Highway Patrol reported nearly 300 calls during the winter storm on Wednesday.

calls for service - 298
stranded motorist - 185
non-injury crashes - 64
injury crashes - 2
zero fatal crashes

Update 8:29 p.m.

Roads

Columbia Public Works snowplow crews will focus on keeping priority roads plowed to a passable state in response to an ongoing winter weather event. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, the 32-person daytime crew ended its 12-hour shift and was relieved by a 33-person overnight crew.

Public Works and City staff will continue to closely monitor road conditions and adjust operational plans as needed.

Solid Waste

Solid Waste plans to run Thursday residential curbside collection routes as scheduled. Any commercial trash and recycling that was not collected Wednesday, crews plan to collect on Friday, Feb. 4.

Update 6:30 p.m.

Callaway County Sheriff's Office is reporting one lane of westbound Interstate 70 is open at Kingdom City.

Update 6:26 p.m.

The eastbound entrance ramp from Interstate 70 and Route J is partially blocked, due to a tractor-trailer slide off.

Update 6:00 p.m.

Interstate 70 westbound is closed due to a wreck involving an 18-wheeler just west of the Highway 54 interchange in Kingdom City for an indefinite amount of time.

Officials reported the crash around 5:40 p.m.

Update 4:45 p.m.

Highway Patrol troopers in Mid-Missouri have been sent to more than 200 calls during the winter storm, Cpl. Kyle Green with the patrol's Troop F said Wednesday afternoon.

Green said 50 of the calls were for crashes but only two of them involved injuries. Traffic along I-70 has been snarled in locations from Montgomery County to Boone County at different points throughout the day because of crashes and stalled or jackknifed tractor-trailers.

Official reports say 7 inches of snow has been measured in Columbia, 6 inches in Jefferson City, 11 inches in Moberly, 9 inches in Sturgeon and 5 inches in Warsaw.

More snow is expected to add to those totals starting after sundown and continuing into Thursday, the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team says.

The Missouri Department of Transportation's traveler information map shows roads throughout Mid-Missouri covered in snow.

BOONE HEALTH CLOSURES

Boone Health reported several clinics and other locations will be closed Thursday:

COVID testing at Nifong Medical Plaza
Cardiopulmonary Rehab
Fitness centers
Imaging at Nifong Medical Plaza
Lab draw - All locations
Nutrition and Diabetes Education Clinic
Boone Health Medical Group primary care clinics:
- Boonville
- Hallsville
- Mexico

Other locations will be opening late.

Boone Convenient Care at Parkade - open at 10 a.m.
Boone Plaza Pharmacy - open noon to 5:30 p.m.
Boone Health Medical Group primary care clinics: Opening at 10 a.m.
- Broadway
- Nifong
- Glasgow

Update 3:35 p.m.:

MU Health Care will delay its opening until noon Thursday because of snowy roads.

The delayed start applies to all MU Health Care clinics, laboratory, outpatient radiology and Mizzou Quick Care locations. Mizzou Urgent Care will be open from noon to 7 p.m.

MU Health said its coronavirus test collection site on North Keene Street will be open from noon to 5 p.m. and pharmacies will open at noon. Surgeries will be rescheduled unless the patient is already at the hospital. Otherwise, hospitals will operate normally, MU Health said.

Watch a 3:30 p.m. update in the player below.

Update 3 p.m.

Columbia Public Works said Wednesday afternoon that a 32-person snowplow team that started work in the morning was continuing to work to clear streets ahead of the next wave of snow.

Snow had stopped falling in much of Mid-Missouri by mid-afternoon but more is on the way, according to the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team. However, several more inches are expected to fall starting Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

A second shift will report in Columbia at 7 p.m. The city said crews will concentrate on priority roads until they're passable, then move on to residential streets.

The Columbia Fire Department had responded to about seven crashes since 9 p.m., including one on Business Loop 70 Wednesday morning that sent one person to the hospital.

Watch a 2:30 p.m. weather update below.

Update 1:50 p.m.

The Missouri Department of Transportation says another crash is slowing down traffic on Interstate 70 in Boone County.

MoDOT tweeted at about 1:45 p.m. that a crash at mile marker 121 near Midway was causing delays in the westbound lanes. Crashes and a stalled tractor-trailer had earlier closed down westbound I-70 near Stadium Boulevard and slowed down eastbound traffic near there.

The interstate was back open Wednesday afternoon.

Update 1:40 p.m.

Watch an afternoon update on road conditions and snow predictions.

Update 12:40 p.m.

The Missouri Department of Transportation says traffic is starting to move on westbound Interstate 70 near Stadium Boulevard.

The snow-covered road had been closed after crashes.

A jackknifed tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 near Stadium Boulevard on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.

Noon update

The Missouri Department of Transportation says Interstate 70 westbound is closed near Stadium Boulevard in Columbia.

"Please consider exiting the interstate before the crash at exit 124," the agency tweeted a little before noon.

Police and transportation agencies are urging drivers to stay off the roads, which are covered in snow throughout Mid-Missouri. Several inches had already fallen by noon and snow was continuing in Columbia.

Columbia Public Works said on Twitter that crews were focusing on downtown streets as the snow continued to fall.

"Please continue to avoid parking on all priority roads (and even avoid it on non-priority roads, if you can) for the duration of this winter event," the agency said.

Snow covers Broadway in downtown Columbia on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.

Columbia College announced its campus would be closed Thursday with no day campus classes. Evening classes at the Columbia campus will be held virtually.

Update 11:30 a.m.:

The Missouri Department of Transportation says a stalled tractor-trailer is causing significant delays on Interstate 70 eastbound near the 122 mile marker. The location is just west of Stadium Boulevard, where a crash has closed westbound lanes of Interstate 70.

No details about the crashes were immediately available.

Columbia police asked drivers to avoid the area entirely because of the active situation.

Update 11:10 a.m.:

A crash on Interstate 70 westbound near Stadium Boulevard in Columbia has stalled traffic.

No details were immediately available at the crash, but Boone County dispatchers sent an alert about it just before 11 a.m. The Missouri Department of Transportation's traffic camera at the Stadium exit showed a long line of traffic forming after the crash.

A screen capture of a MoDOT camera at Stadium Boulevard and Interstate 70.

Columbia had recorded about 5 inches of snow cover at 11 a.m. Jefferson City had 6 inches on the ground.

Update 10:25 a.m.:

The Missouri Department of Transportation says westbound Interstate 70 is closed again, this time for a tractor-trailer crash in Montgomery County.

The crash is near mile marker 188, just west of the Route A/B exit.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said earlier Tuesday that it had responded to dozens of calls in Central Missouri but only one injury crash. A tractor-trailer slideoff earlier closed part of I-70 in Callaway County.

Boone County authorities also warned of a crash in the westbound lanes near the St. Charles Road exit in Columbia.

MoDOT's traveler map showed all state roads in Mid-Missouri covered with snow.

Update 9:40 a.m.:

The Missouri Department of Transportation warned drivers to avoid eastbound Interstate 70 near the Williamsburg exit in Callaway County.

MoDOT said in social media posts that one lane of I-70 eastbound was closed after a tractor-trailer slid off the road. The slideoff is near the 158.6 mile marker. MoDOT told drivers to expect delays.

Update 9:15 a.m.:

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers have gone to the scene of dozens of crashes in Mid-Missouri since midnight.

The patrol said on Twitter that troopers had been sent to 62 calls with 38 stranded drivers, 16 non-injury crashes and one injury crash. The Missouri Department of Transportation's traveler map showed all state highways in Mid-Missouri were covered in snow.

Columbia had measured 4 inches of snow as of about 7:30 a.m., with 5 inches in Mexico and 6.5 inches in Moberly.

The area remains under a winter storm warning until noon Thursday, with snow totals possibly reaching more than a foot. Heavy snow was falling a little before 9 a.m. in Columbia and more is expected across the area throughout Wednesday.

The snow might lessen in intensity Wednesday afternoon before gaining strength again Wednesday night. The ABC 17 Stromtrack Weather team has issued a Weather Alert Day because of the hazardous conditions.

Cpl. Kyle Green with Troop F said a crash that closed part of Interstate 70 in Callaway County earlier involved one tractor-trailer and no injuries.

Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said no one was injured in an earlier semi-truck slide-off that blocked part of Route B.

Update 8:15 a.m.:

MoDOT has closed part of westbound Interstate 70 in Callaway County on Wednesday morning.

Officials said the westbound lanes at the 160.6-mile marker near Williamsburg are shut down due to a crash. The number of vehicles involved in the crash or if anyone is hurt wasn't immediately available.

Drivers can find the latest road conditions in Mid-Missouri on MoDOT's Traveler Information Map website.

Update: 7:40 a.m.:

Drivers are asked to avoid parts of Route B in Cole County on Wednesday morning.

According to the Cole County Sheriff's Office, crews responded to the 8100 block of Route B near Route E after a semi-truck slid off of the road.

The cause of the crash or if anyone is hurt wasn't immediately available.

Update: 7:20 a.m.:

The city of Columbia will enforce parking restrictions on snow routes so plow drivers can get through the roads.

According to the Columbia Public Works Department, any vehicles parked on snow routes will need to be moved to a non-priority road or off of the street. Drivers that don't move their vehicles face a possible $100 fine plus towing and storage fees.

Columbia's policy restricts parking on snow routes if the city receives two or more inches of snow. So far, Columbia has received at least four inches of snow.

Update 6:55 a.m.:

Crews are focused on clearing first and second-priority roads across Columbia on Wednesday morning.

According to the Columbia Public Works Department, crews plan to keep priority roads in a passable state no matter the rate of snowfall. A new 32-person crew is expected to report in for work at 7 a.m.

The public works department asked drivers to avoid going out on the roads if possible.

Update: 6:30 a.m.:

Plow crews in Jefferson City are preparing for a long day ahead of clearing local roads.

According to the Jefferson City Public Works Department, crews started to report in for work at midnight. A full crew started to work on clearing the roads around Jefferson City at 4 a.m.

ABC 17 News is told crews may not be able to get down to the pavement today. Drivers in the Jefferson City area should expect to find mostly snow-covered roads.

The public works department has asked drivers to avoid travel if possible.

Update 5:55 a.m.:

Westbound Interstate 70 in Columbia is back open on Wednesday morning.

According to Boone County Joint Communications, the interstate is open between the Cooper and Callaway County lines. Crews previously shut down the westbound lanes of I-70 between the Highway 63 Connector to Lake of the Woods Road earlier on Wednesday morning.

MoDOT reports all available crews are working 12-hour shifts until the winter weather moves out of the area. Crews are expected to focus on clearing high-priority routes and the interstates.

MoDOT said crews may not get to some smaller or lower-priority roads for a few days.

Drivers are asked to avoid travel through the end of this week. Anyone that needs to head out can check MoDOT's Traveler Information Map for the latest road conditions.

Update 5:30 a.m.:

Emergency crews confirmed no one is hurt after a MoDOT truck was involved in a crash early on Wednesday morning.

According to Boone County Joint Communications, crews responded to the rollover crash around 4:45 a.m. on Route E near Benedict Road. That's about 10 minutes south of the Harrisburg, Missouri area.

A cause for the crash wasn't immediately available.

Update 5:05 a.m.:

The Missouri Department of Transportation is reporting poor road conditions across parts of Mid-Missouri on Wednesday morning.

According to MoDOT's Traveler Information Map, most roads in the area are snow-covered. The department asked drivers to stay home and to avoid travel if possible.

At least four inches of snow was reported in Columbia around 4:30 a.m. Make sure to download the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather app to your phone or other devices to get the latest on the forecast.

Westbound I-70 closed in part of Columbia

As of Tuesday night, the state of Missouri is under a state of emergency for winter weather. Follow along with the Wednesday Winter Storm Updates blog throughout the day to see the latest conditions around Mid-Missouri.

Boone County Joint Communications reported several traffic hazards around Columbia. The agency reported shortly before 2:45 a.m. that Westbound I-70 was closed from the Highway 63 Connector to Lake of the Woods Road.

Boone County Joint Communications Alerts
- 6:57 a.m. - Crash along 129 mile marker of I-70 westbound near the 63 Connector. Avoid Area if Possible.
- 2:42 a.m. - I-70 westbound shut down from Highway 63 Connector to Lake of the Woods Road
- 2:25 a.m. - Semi-truck stuck in middle of roadway on Highway 63 northbound at Paris Road. Avoid Area if possible.
- 2:08 a.m. - Semi truck blocking all of Clark Lane at Eastwood. Choose alternate route.
- 1:58 a.m. - Between the Highway 63 Connector and Lake of the Woods Exit 130 on I-70, westbound vehicles cannot get up the hill creating a traffic hazard. Use caution, avoid area if possible.

Photo Gallery: Columbia