All lanes on Interstate 70 westbound in Columbus have reopened after a dump truck with its bed raised up struck two overhead sign structures, causing one to collapse and shutting the highway down for more than four hours.
The truck’s raised bed struck the overhead metal support structure holding highway signs at the Livingston Avenue exit, causing one sign to fall in front of a car and the right side of the support to collapse to the shoulder. The incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 20.
The dump truck continued further west along I-70 after the incident, where Ohio Department of Transportation camera video appeared to show the truck’s raised bed had struck another overhead sign telling motorists the I-71 North exit was two miles ahead before the truck then pulled over to the berm nearby.
While some motorists initially drove in the far left lane to go under the partially collapsed overhead sign structure at Livingston Avenue immediately after the crash, the highway was quickly shut down by responding Columbus police cruisers.
ODOT brought cranes to the scene to lift up the overhead sign and put it back in place, then used a lift truck to examine the damage to the second sign. Meanwhile, motorists were stuck behind the mess for over four hours.
All lanes on I-70 westbound were reopened just before 8:10 p.m., according to a Columbus police dispatcher.
ODOT camera video appears to show that the dump truck struck the bottom of a second overhead sign on I-70 west that alerts motorists to the Interstate 71 exit 2 miles way.
The dispatcher could not say if anyone was injured from the incidents.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Interstate 70 westbound reopens hours after dump truck strikes signs
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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