ST. JOSEPH – Two Missouri River crossings north of St. Joseph are now closed due to flooding: U.S. Route 159 in Holt County and U.S. Route 136 in Atchison County. The Missouri Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Nebraska Department of Transportation, has closed these roadways due to flooding and the potential for rapidly rising water.
U.S. Route 159 is flooded and closed west of Route 111 near Big Lake. That closure may extend further east overnight. Residents and motorists should use caution in the area and remain alert for additional water over roadways.
U.S. Route 136 is closed west of Rock Port. Due to the threat of vehicles being caught in rapidly rising water, should levees be overtopped or breached, the road is closed on both the Missouri side and on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River.
Rising water along the Missouri River and other smaller rivers and streams have closed portions of I-29 in Iowa and Missouri, as well as other roadways throughout the two states. Roads impacted by flooding are expected to be closed for an extended period of time.
Interstate 29 is now CLOSED between Exit 110 at Rock Port and Exit 11 at Hamburg, Iowa.
- Through traffic on I-29 between Council Bluffs/Omaha and Kansas City is being asked to detour along I-35 and I-80.
Several other routes across Northwest Missouri and our bordering states are closed.
For the most up-to-date information on this flooding event, visit https://www.modot.org/2019-northwest-missouri-flooding
MoDOT is urging everyone to closely monitor conditions in their area, heed all evacuation notices, and never enter a water-covered roadway or drive around barricades. Just a few inches of flood waters can force a vehicle off the roadway. In addition, it is not uncommon for roadways and shoulders to be damaged when flooded, creating unsafe conditions for motorists.
Flooding may occur with little or no notice. Missouri Department of Transportation crews and our partners are monitoring road conditions closely, but floodwaters can rise quickly, before our crews and other emergency services are able to place barricades across the roadway.
If you come upon a flooded roadway without barricades, do NOT drive through the water. Pull over to a safe location and call the MoDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service line at 888 ASK MODOT (1-888-275-6636
) to report it.
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