I35 North in Kansas City MO Closed but no detours

[jacwjames]

I was driving I70 West from ST Louis and planning on heading north on I29 out of Kansis City MO.   Ran into some really heavy thunderstorms and rain.  Lots of people just pulling off on the side of the road, including truckers.  I wasn't having a problem driving but the traffic became sketchy and I happened to see a sign for Bass Pro Shop and called and asked if they'd allow me to hold up there due to the weather, they said yes.  Punched it in to my GPS and got there without a problem. 

So Saturday early morning I get up and set up the GPS to head north toward Souix Falls SD on my way to the Badlands.  I noticed that  the GPS says I35, the connector to I29 was closed and didn't provide an alternate route but I figured OK there will be a detour.

There was not, came up to an off ramp with a road closed sign on I35.  The off ramp took you into a residential area, I was following a truck with 2 trailers and I figured OK he knows what he's doing and we slowly start driving through the narrow streets and it became obvious he didn't know what he was doing.   By this time there were other trucks following me.   Also obvious that other trucks had been doing the same thing as tree limbs were laying all over the streets.  Luckily I'm only 12' high so I fared OK when it came to the tree limbs.   Eventually the trucker in front of me came an intersection and just stopped.  I waited for ~5 minutes figuring he's talking to other truckers but never moved.

So I expanded the view on my GPS and decided to take a chance so I went around him and picked a route to get me back on I35, another truck started to follow me.  I got lucky and found a decent path and was back on I35 in about 5 minutes with at least one truck following me. 

Kansis City MO needs to get their crap together and make sure there are signs/detours available in a situation like this.   I know there were probably signs but with the heavy rain I didn't see any and since I stopped overnight and approached from a different direction, but not to have a detour🤬!!!!!

 

Hit some more hellish weather in SD with heavy winds and rain but made it to Wall SD and am parked on the edge of the Badlands watching the sun come up. 

[John Haggard]

A certain element of political leaders are promoting removing the interstate system through major city's. 

It will bring drug dealers and crime organizations back together again .

 

[Nevada Rob]

Wow I had no idea the the Interstate highway system separated the the average drug dealer and crime organization. This forum is great as I learn something new every day.

[timaz996]

I'm right down the road from you Jim, In Wasta, SD. I will be there in the Bad Lands on Tuesday If your still there we should meet for a cold one.

 

Tim

[Paul J A]

5 hours ago, jacwjames said:

I was driving I70 West from ST Louis and planning on heading north on I29 out of Kansis City MO.   Ran into some really heavy thunderstorms and rain.  Lots of people just pulling off on the side of the road, including truckers.  I wasn't having a problem driving but the traffic became sketchy and I happened to see a sign for Bass Pro Shop and called and asked if they'd allow me to hold up there due to the weather, they said yes.  Punched it in to my GPS and got there without a problem. 

So Saturday early morning I get up and set up the GPS to head north toward Souix Falls SD on my way to the Badlands.  I noticed that  the GPS says I35, the connector to I29 was closed and didn't provide an alternate route but I figured OK there will be a detour.

There was not, came up to an off ramp with a road closed sign on I35.  The off ramp took you into a residential area, I was following a truck with 2 trailers and I figured OK he knows what he's doing and we slowly start driving through the narrow streets and it became obvious he didn't know what he was doing.   By this time there were other trucks following me.   Also obvious that other trucks had been doing the same thing as tree limbs were laying all over the streets.  Luckily I'm only 12' high so I fared OK when it came to the tree limbs.   Eventually the trucker in front of me came an intersection and just stopped.  I waited for ~5 minutes figuring he's talking to other truckers but never moved.

So I expanded the view on my GPS and decided to take a chance so I went around him and picked a route to get me back on I35, another truck started to follow me.  I got lucky and found a decent path and was back on I35 in about 5 minutes with at least one truck following me. 

Kansis City MO needs to get their crap together and make sure there are signs/detours available in a situation like this.   I know there were probably signs but with the heavy rain I didn't see any and since I stopped overnight and approached from a different direction, but not to have a detour🤬!!!!!

 

Hit some more hellish weather in SD with heavy winds and rain but made it to Wall SD and am parked on the edge of the Badlands watching the sun come up. 

Did you happen to check the DOT web sites to if they stated why the "detour" was in place?  A call to 911 would have been very interesting to listen too. "Might" have had a escort provided. Non emergency calls are allowed. I did it twice in 10 years full timing. I have a family member who is Retired and was a senior officer in the State Patrol, who advised me to do that.  Gotta keep peeling the "onion"

[jacwjames]

3 minutes ago, Paul A. said:

Did you happen to check the DOT web sites to if they stated why the "detour" was in place?  A call to 911 would have been very interesting to listen too. "Might" have had a escort provided. Non emergency calls are allowed. I did it twice in 10 years full timing. I have a family member who is Retired and was a senior officer in the State Patrol, who advised me to do that.  Gotta keep peeling the "onion"

Well, hard for me to check the DOT website while driving.  My GPS did not have a detour listed and I had just updated it ~4 weeks ago.  The truckers were in worse shape due to height and length.  Lesson learned though, it the GPS says CLOSED I'll stop and looking/checking on options. 

[Paul J A]

12 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

Well, hard for me to check the DOT website while driving.  My GPS did not have a detour listed and I had just updated it ~4 weeks ago.  The truckers were in worse shape due to height and length.  Lesson learned though, it the GPS says CLOSED I'll stop and looking/checking on options. 

 Just some thoughts. Better proactive than reactive. Safe Travels.

 

[jacwjames]

7 minutes ago, Paul A. said:

 Just some thoughts. Better proactive than reactive. Safe Travels.

 

100% agree, I am usually proactive but in this case the storms got the best of me. 

[Scott 61]

What brand of GPS do you have that did not tell you about the detour

[jacwjames]

2 hours ago, Scott 61 said:

What brand of GPS do you have that did not tell you about the detour

It is a Garmin 760,  I updated it about a month ago.  Evidently there were some truckers who had the same problem.  Makes me wonder if there was actually a detour.

 

What was funny is that they had the road completely shut down but I did not see any construction equipment on the parts that I could see.  The route I took to get back on 35 was ~4 miles.   

 

 

[Bob Nodine]

22 hours ago, John Haggard said:

A certain element of political leaders are promoting removing the interstate system through major city's. 

It will bring drug dealers and crime organizations back together again .

 

I'm not very bright but this makes no sense to me. I always thought drug dealers and crime organizations were all criminals and I doubt they care where the interstates are. No matter what the government or law enforcement does the criminals will always adapt.