The road leads to the abandoned mining town of Treece, which was bought out by the federal government a few years ago because of environmental contamination left by mining.

The Joplin Globe reports Kansas Geological Survey scientist Rick Miller says about half a mile of U.S. 69 near the Kansas-Oklahoma border is over an abandoned mine.

The transportation department says nearly 2,200 vehicles, including 400 semitrailers, travel that stretch of highway each day.

Cherokee County in southeast Kansas once was part of a center of zinc and lead mining. Results of testing conducted this week aren’t expected for months.