Snow and accidents shut down area roadsWinter begins snowy

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Dec 23, 2007 by Phil Anderson

By Phil Anderson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The first day of winter came in with a vengeance Saturday, burying Topeka in more than 9 inches of snow and causing havoc on city and county roads.

A fatality accident involving more than 30 vehicles near McFarland in Wabaunsee County closed east- and westbound Interstate 70 between Topeka and Manhattan for much of the afternoon and evening.

Kansas Highway Patrol authorities said the crash occurred in "whiteout" conditions when a passenger car drove into the back end of a semi-trailer truck, starting a chain-reaction accident.

Highway patrol troopers remained at the scene past 9 p.m. Seven vehicles and two semi-trailer trucks remained to be towed away.

Additional details on the crash weren't available late Saturday.

Two shelters had opened near the closed portion of I-70 to assist stranded motorists who had been in the accident. One shelter was in McFarland and the other in Maple Hill.

The highway's closure between S.W. Auburn Road on the western edge of Topeka and K-177 highway south of Manhattan was announced shortly after noon.

Authorities said many westbound travelers were stranded in Topeka during the afternoon and evening as they waited for the approximately 40-mile stretch of I-70 to reopen.

Later Saturday, officials announced I-70 was expected to reopen at about 11 p.m., too late for many motorists to continue their westward travels.

By 7:20 p.m., officials announced that Agricultural Hall at the Kansas Expocentre would be opened as an emergency shelter for stranded motorists, some of whom had been riding out the I-70 closure at West Ridge Mall, 1801 S.W. Wanamaker. Motels on the city's west side were reported to be full.

As traveling conditions worsened and temperatures dropped throughout the day, state officials by early afternoon were calling on people to stay home if at all possible.

As word was broadcast of I-70's closure, authorities said many people attempted to use US-24 highway as an alternate east-west route between Topeka and Manhattan. However, traffic was reported backing up on that roadway by 4 p.m. and officials were discouraging people from using US-24.

At about 5 p.m., the Kansas Department of Transportation announced the Oakland Expressway northeast of Topeka had closed between N.E. Seward and US-24 because of a structural problem with a large road sign. The Oakland Expressway is a two-lane expanse that connects K-4 highway with I-70.

No major injury accidents were reported in Topeka on Saturday, police said.

A portion of US-24 highway west of Rossville near N.W. Anthony Road was closed for a short period after a 10-car pileup at about 1:50 p.m. No serious injuries were reported, according to Shawnee County sheriff's officials.

Road crews had been out much of the day and were plowing and treating area roads with a salt-sand mixture into the night.

"They'll be plowing all night long," Kimberly Qualls, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said late Saturday. "They'll start treating the roads again in the morning at around 4 o'clock."

Clear conditions are forecast for today, with a high temperature near 30 degrees.

Phil Anderson can be reached

at (785) 295-1195

or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.