Giant Illinois interstate sign collapses after truck strike, ‘major delays’ expected

A busy stretch of I-64 in Illinois near St. Louis remains closed after a truck hit an overhead sign Wednesday night, with shocking photos showing beams of metal collapsed on the roadway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation posted about the closure, in St. Clair County, just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

“Heads up, Metro East travelers! Westbound I-64 approaching I-255 is currently closed due to a truck that hit a sign trust overnight,” IDOT said in a Facebook post. “Our crews are on it, working hard to get things cleared up and the road reopened ASAP. Expect major delays this morning, so if you can, try to steer clear of the area.”

According to the Illinois State Police, about 10:50 p.m., truck tractor semi trailer was in the construction zone on I-64 near Washington Park when it failed to lower its dump bed and struck the overhead road sign.

The structure holding the sign then failed and fell onto the roadway, ISP said. No injuries were reported.

Photos shared by IDOT showed the damage, with two giant green road signs over the interstate nearly touching the road, with the metal structure crushed and folded.

As of Thursday morning, all four westbound lanes remained closed due to the damage. Cleanup was expected to last for hours, with traffic diverted to IL 157, ISP said.