PADUCAH, Ky. (June 16, 2020) — A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans a 3-hour detour for eastbound traffic along Interstate 24 in an extended work zone between the 52 and 65 mile marker in Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon, June 16, 2020.
Eastbound motorists on I-24 should be prepared to encounter a detour starting sometime around 2 p.m., CDT, on Tuesday, between the KY 139 Princeton/Cadiz Exit 56 Interchange and the U.S. 68 Cadiz Exit 65 Interchange. There will be a marked detour for eastbound traffic along KY 139 South to U.S. 68 East through Cadiz.
This temporary detour is expected to be in place from approximately 2 p.m., CDT, to about 5 p.m., Tuesday, to allow repairs to a damaged section of guardrail near the 60 mile marker. The guardrail was hit by an oversized load attempting to travel the eastbound lanes of I-24 along the 13-mile work zone over the weekend. 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.
Eastbound motorists should be alert for slowing and merging traffic as they approach the start of the work zone at the 52 mile marker on Tuesday afternoon. Motorists traveling KY 139 near the Exit 56 Interchange should be aware of traffic delays as flaggers will be controlling traffic to allow I-24 eastbound traffic access KY 139 at the Exit 56 interchange. Motorists who normally travel KY 139 and U.S. 68 through Cadiz should also be aware of increased traffic flow during the 3-hours this detour is active.
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 afternoon 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 around Labor Day, additional concrete pavement repairs are planned along westbound lanes. The target completion date for all work is November 30, 2020.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.
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