PADUCAH, Ky. (August 31, 2020) — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans a temporary detour for eastbound traffic along Interstate 24 in an extended work zone between the 52 and 65 mile marker in Kentucky on Tuesday evening, September 1, 2020.
Eastbound motorists on I-24 should be prepared to encounter a temporary detour starting around 6 p.m., CDT, on Tuesday, near the 56 mile marker. This is along I-24 eastbound between the KY 139 Princeton/Cadiz Exit 56 Interchange and the U.S. 68 Cadiz Exit 65 Interchange.
The temporary detour is to allow extensive pavement patching and shoulder repairs along the eastbound one-lane section of I-24 in the extended work zone. The work is to improve the driving surface and shoulder area in the work zone to prepare for the Labor Day Holiday travel period.
During this temporary closure, there will be a marked detour for eastbound traffic along KY 139 South through downtown Cadiz to U.S. 68 East to return to I-24 at the Cadiz Exit 65 interchange. Motorists traveling KY 139 southbound near the Exit 56 Interchange should be prepared to encounter delays as flaggers will be controlling traffic to allow vehicles exiting I-24 to access KY 139 South.
This temporary detour is expected to be in place from approximately 6 p.m., CDT, Tuesday, to about 1 a.m., Wednesday, to allow repairs to the driving surface and shoulders along the one-lane section of the work zone.
Oversized loads will be directed to pull over and wait for the work to be completed as overweight and over-dimensional loads will not be allowed along the detour through Cadiz along KY 139 and U.S. 68. KY 276 is not an approved detour and will be open to local traffic only.
As a reminder for trucks, there is a strict 12 ft. maximum load width for eastbound I-24 in the work zone. There is a strict 15 ft. maximum load width for westbound traffic in the work zone.
To help reduce delays along the marked detour via KY 139, motorists from the Paducah area planning to travel I-24 East into Tennessee on Tuesday evening are advised to consider an alternate route via I-69 South and U.S. 68 East between Exit 25 at Calvert City and Exit 65 at Cadiz.
There should be minimal impact to westbound traffic along I-24 during this closure and temporary detour of eastbound traffic.
This extended work zone through parts of Lyon, Caldwell, and Trigg counties between the 52 and 65 mile marker includes two-way traffic running on the westbound lanes with a centerline barrier wall and a strictly-enforced 55 mile per hour speed limit with an enhanced enforcement presence. More than 22,000 vehicles travel this section of Interstate 24 in an average day. Motorists are asked to use both patience and caution in this work zone through the 2020 construction season.
Hall Contracting of Kentucky is the prime contractor on this $28,090,000 highway improvement project. The project includes major rehabilitation work along the eastbound lanes of I-24 from the 52 to 65-mile marker, as well as spot concrete repairs and bridge work from the 65 to 69 mile marker.
Once reconstruction of the eastbound driving surface is complete sometime after Labor Day, additional concrete pavement repairs are planned along westbound lanes. The target completion date for all work is May 15, 2021.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going towww.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.
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