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Heavy Rain Closes 30 Roads Across Missouri

MoDOT engineers worry that heavier trucks would spell rutted roads in rural Missouri.
Jacob Fenston
/
KBIA
MoDOT engineers worry that heavier trucks would spell rutted roads in rural Missouri.

With heavy rain forecasted throughout the next few days across the state, the Missouri Department of Transportation issued a warning to motorists concerning road closures. According to MoDOT, more than 30 Missouri roads were closed as of Tuesday afternoon and more are expected throughout the week based on weather reports.

“If a road is closed, if there are barricades up, they are there for a purpose. So we always tell people not to move the barricade and not to try to drive around them,” said MoDOT’s Central District Spokesperson Sally Oxenhandler. “They are there for the safety of the public.”

Oxenhandler said MoDOT employees are monitoring road conditions throughout the state to determine whether or not they are safe.

“They know which routes are going to go under first because they’re usually in low-lying areas,” said Oxenhandler. “So we typically have our eye on those first, and we continue to monitor the situation around the clock so that we can close and open a road just as soon as the situation warrants.”

According to MoDOT, drivers should use extra caution when driving on wet roads, even if they are not flooded.

“We do often see an increase in crashes because of the wet weather so it’s just a good idea to slow down, use caution, allow extra time, and don’t do anything that distracts you from the task at hand which is driving,” said Oxenhandler.

The majority of closures are expected on lettered and numbered routes with low traffic volumes, according to MoDOT. Drivers can visit modot.org and check the Traveler Information Map for current road closures. The map is also available as a free app for iPhones and Android phones or devices. 

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