UPDATE – RELEASE FROM KDOT:
At 6:00 a.m. TODAY, Tuesday, October 25, all lanes of eastbound and westbound I-70 NOW CLOSED from 4th Street to the California Avenue Interchange in east Topeka due to fatality incident involving hazardous semi spill.
A tanker truck hauling an oil-based substance that is considered to be hazardous, hit the highway median, knocked a huge overhead sign straight to ground, tipped over and the substance spilled out onto the roadway.
UPDATED – ramps CLOSED include westbound I-70 on ramps from California Avenue and Adams Interchange, and eastbound I-70 on ramps from 4th, 8th and 10th Streets. The off ramps from eastbound I-70 to 1st, 3rd and 8th Streets and from 1st Street to westbound I-70 are OPEN, HOWEVER, law enforcement officials and KDOT strongly recommend that drivers avoid utilizing eastbound I-70 into downtown Topeka and use alternate routes until later today when the highway reopens.
EXPECT DELAYS! Drivers MUST avoid the area and use alternate routes until further notice. Traffic will be detoured via local streets.
Oversized semi loads MUST use I-470 loop through south Topeka to access eastbound I-70/Kansas Turnpike and/or westbound I-70.
Due to the nature of the hazardous semi spill incident, eastbound and westbound I-70 is not expected to reopen until after NOON (or later) today. We will let you know when the roadway is reopened to all traffic.
Some eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 70 are closed in parts of Topeka after a fatality accident that involved a hazardous spill.
The Kansas Department of Transportation says the interstate was closed about 6 a.m. Tuesday from 4th Street to the California Avenue interchange in east Topeka. The lanes are expected to remain closed until at least noon.
The closed ramps westbound I-70 from California Avenue and Adams Interchange, and eastbound I-70 on ramps from 4th, 8th and 10th Streets.
The transportation department says oversized semi-truck trailers must use I-470 loop through south Topeka to access the interstate.
Details of the accident and what was spilled were not immediately available.