I-25 Reopens After IKEA Sign's Wind Damage Is Checked Out
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - Wind damaged the sign outside IKEA Thursday evening and road crews closed both directions of Interstate 25 for more than two hours as a precaution.
An IKEA employee noticed the forceful gusts had loosened four panels on the massive sign towering over the highway. They were in danger of blowing onto I-25, forcing a closure and repair 100 feet above the ground.
Service was also disrupted for RTD's light rail trains which run through the area.
Officials with South Metro Fire Rescue said winds were gusting at 25 to 40 mph on the scene. They tweeted that it was an "unpredictable situation."
The highway closure was put in place just after 6 p.m. and it was lifted just before 8:30 p.m.
There were no reports of injuries and no pieces of the sign fell onto the road, but cracks were visible on the inside sections of the large sign.
Across the city, tree branches snapped in the high winds.
"I work downtown on an upper floor and all afternoon the winds were howling. It was really loud," said Highlands resident Lauren Huber.
She thought her neighborhood might be better than her skyscraper office, but two women were walking across the street when a heavy tree branch crashed down.
"I can't believe it, I drove down the street an hour ago... I didn't even hear it," she said.
No injuries have been reported due to the strong winds.
