A massive wind turbine base remained in the median of a northeast Kansas highway overnight after a semitrailer hauling it broke an axle and rolled.

The semi crashed just after 10 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. 36 in Washington County. Sheriff Justin Cordry says the truck and trailers were totaled, and the turbine base was badly damaged.

Cordry says the semi, which was headed to southwest Kansas, was being escorted because of its over-sized load and there were no signs of driver error.

The turbine base was left in the median overnight and was to be retrieved Thursday. The eastbound passing lane of U.S. 36 was being closed so two cranes could be brought in to load the 117,000-pound base onto a replacement trailer.

—

Associated Press information from: The Salina Journal