Slick road conditions in western Kentucky cause numerous crashes
(KBSI) – Slick roads conditions caused numerous vehicles to slide off roads in western Kentucky on Wednesday.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reopened a section of KY 95 and KY 1523/Industrial Parkway in the Calvert City area of northern Marshall County. Both highways were closed due to icy conditions and numerous slide-off crashes.
KY 95 was closed in the hilly area near the Calvert City Drive-in. A KYTC salt truck also got stuck as it was attempting to treat the area, according to KYTC.
KY 1523/Industrial Parkway was closed in a curve west of the KY 95/Main Street Intersection where several passenger vehicles, a semi and a large box truck slid off the road.
KYTC personnel put salt in buckets and spread it by hand to help tow trucks access some of the vehicles that ended up off the road.
The City of Calvert City provided a pickup with a mounted salt spreader to assist with the icy areas along KY 1523.
Both locations have been plowed, salted, and reopened to normal traffic flow.
Several highways in McCracken County remain closed due to icy conditions. The KYTC McCracken County Highway Maintenance Crew reported salt trucks sliding off the roadway several times. The Graves County Highway Maintenance Crew also reported a couple of incidents.
KYTC engineers think that sunshine helped melt the surface of some icy spots and make them slicker than they were when freezing rain and sleet fell earlier in the week.
Starting around 10 a.m. Wednesday, KYTC District 1 had numerous reports of vehicles sliding off roadways, including several KYTC trucks that were spreading salt.
The icy conditions generated dozens of calls for tow trucks. That forced the closure of a number of roadways, including a section of KY 95 south of Calvert City in Marshall County and a section of KY 1523/Industrial Parkway in Calvert City. Both KY 95 and KY 1523/Industrial Parkway reopened around 4 p.m. after crews salted and plowed the icy areas.
The Marshall County Highway Maintenance Crew used buckets to spread salt by hand at some locations. Most of the trouble spots were in hilly areas, according to KYTC.
Lyon County reported KY 1055 and KY 1671 closed due to vehicles off the road.
McCracken County reported KY 970/Highland Church Road closed between U.S. 62 and KY 1322/Lovelaceville Road, as well as KY 999/Krebs Station Rd between KY 994/Old Mayfield Road and KY 1954/Husbands Road.
Several times, KYTC trucks went off the road during the day in McCracken County and Graves County.
Drivers should continue to be aware that some less-traveled roadways may be slicker Wednesday than they were earlier in the week. Some areas where ice melted are likely to re-freeze during the overnight hours.
