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Flood water closes U.S. 281 south of Hoisington
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.A barrier shows this road to Cheyenne Bottoms near Camp Aldrich closed due to high water. photo courtesy of Dan Witt
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U.S. 281 is closed to traffic at the south end of Hoisington, Tuesday afternoon. High water covered the highway further south. Photo courtesy of Dan Witt.

U.S. 281 was closed Tuesday between Great Bend and Hoisington due to high water. Shop Creek is out of its banks and has flooded a portion of the highway.

Kansas Department of Transportation reports that U.S. 281 is closed between reference posts 109 and 116, starting about half a mile south of Hoisington and going south. Flaggers are on duty to stop vehicles and will detour them on county blacktops if roads are passable.

At 4:33 p.m. Tuesday, the Hoisington Police issued an alert via the Nixle network to residents of Hoisington.  

“Due to flooding and increased water flow, U.S. 281 South of Hoisington will be closed until the water recedes. The Vine Street crossing, south of Hoisington, will also be closed until the water recedes. Please avoid traveling this route.”

The alert indicated was a moderate severity, with possible threat to life or property.

Motorists can check on the latest road condition by calling 511 or online at www.kandrive.org. For the KanDrive website, click on the link to “Road Closures in Kansas” and then scroll down through the list of highways (U.S. 281 is near the bottom.)

KDOT warns motorists: If you come across a roadway covered in water: turn around, don’t drown.