The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced it would begin paving the section of Interstate 165 (William H. Natcher Parkway) damaged during last Thursday’s molten aluminum spill this morning.
According to KYTC, nearly 500 gallons of molten aluminum were deposited on the roadway last Thursday, June 27. After initially anticipating needing at least 2 days to get the roadway fully open, KYTC safely reopened both northbound lanes of the interstate just before 8 p.m.
Read the OT’s coverage of the event and see first-hand photos here.
After removing the material, crews took the necessary steps to reopen the roadway over the weekend.
Now, they will return to apply a top layer of asphalt and restore the roadway to normal conditions. Single-lane closures on the northbound lanes of I-165 will begin at 6 a.m. around the 69.6-mile point. This location is approximately half a mile from the end of the interstate and close to the Fairview Drive bridge over I-165.
Crews plan to pave one lane at a time, allowing KYTC to keep traffic flowing throughout the day. They expect to finish the project by the end of the day on Tuesday.
They said there is potential for some delays during the movement and placement of equipment to facilitate the work. KYTC said appropriate caution is required where equipment, flaggers, and personnel are along the roadway near traffic flow.
During the final cleanup of the crash site, related damage to a drainage tile under the southbound lanes of the interstate was discovered. That damage does not impact traffic safety and does not require immediate attention, but KYTC plans to address it later this summer. No date has yet been set for that work, which will likely require lane restrictions in the southbound lanes.
