A stretch of westbound Interstate 70 in eastern Indiana will remain closed indefinitely after floodwaters washed out part of the westbound lanes following days of heavy rain.
The Indiana Department of Transportation said all westbound traffic on I-70 just east of the Centerville Road exit at mile marker 146 in Wayne County is being detoured while crews assess the damage and begin repairs. The damaged section is about 9 miles west of the Ohio state line.
Drivers traveling west on I-70 are being rerouted using U.S. 27, U.S. 36, Ohio 9 and back onto the interstate, according to INDOT. Eastbound traffic through the area remains open.
Photos released by the transportation agency show part of the roadway buckled and the highway shoulder washed away after floodwaters undermined the pavement.
Officials have not provided a timeline for reopening the highway.
The closure follows torrential rainfall that drenched eastern Indiana on Aug. 12. Indianapolis television station WTHR reported that parts of western Wayne County received more than 12 inches of rain over a two-day period, contributing to widespread flooding and damage.
Transportation officials are reminding motorists never to drive through flooded roadways, noting that it can be impossible to judge the depth of the water and that vehicles can be swept away in only a few inches of moving water.
Drivers can check current Indiana road closures and travel conditions through the Indiana Department of Transportation before traveling.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Stretch of I-70W near Ohio line closes after Indiana flooding washes out highway
Reporting by Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
