One westbound lane of I-70 reopens after fatal accident

BOONVILLE, Mo. -- Cross-state traffic was restored Saturday in Missouri following separate truck and train accidents that closed portions of a main highway and railroad between St. Louis and Kansas City.

Both accidents happened near Boonville, a Missouri River community in the center of the state.

A westbound stretch of Interstate 70 was closed after an accident Friday morning in which a tractor-trailer truck damaged the support columns of an overpass. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the truck driver, Eugene White, 50, of Albany, Ga., was killed in the accident.

One lane of westbound traffic reopened Saturday afternoon, the patrol said.

The interstate is the most heavily traveled highway in Missouri, carrying about 30,000 vehicles a day. Both lanes of eastbound I-70 remained open.

Amtrak canceled its Missouri train service Friday because one of the two railroad tracks between Kansas City and the capital of Jefferson City was closed following a coal-train derailment on Union Pacific tracks.

The accident happened near Lamine, a small town just west of Boonville and just off I-70. Transportation officials said there was no connection between the accidents.

Amtrak resumed normal service Saturday, a reservations agent said.