I-24 shut down for 6 hours after semi loses load in crash near Ohio River bridge

Interstate 24 was blocked for almost six hours and traffic was affected in three counties on Tuesday afternoon when at least three vehicles collided on the approach to the Ohio River bridge into Illinois.

The collision at mile marker involved a semi, a passenger vehicle and a pickup hauling  a camper near mile marker 1 The crash caused the semi to lose its load of coiled wire cable, which had to be offloaded along with the removal of the damaged vehicles. The interstate finally reopened to traffic at 8:05 pm.

Traffic backed up on I-24 as far as the 19 mile marker in Marshall County. KYTC blocked the onramps at exits 3, 4, 7 and 11.

Eventually, to provide an outlet for the backlog east of town, authorities activated Emergency Route A through Paducah. Traffic was funneled off I-24 at Exit 16, then followed Detour A signs along US 62 and the downtown business loop/U.S. 60, then continued toward the McCracken–Ballard County line. Cars and especially semis were directed into Ballard County to cross the Wickliffe/Cairo bridge and I-57 into Illinois.

Meanwhile, the usual congestion during I-24 crashes snarled both sides of the Brookport bridge. Police directed traffic that was stacked on Cairo Road, H.C. Mathis Drive and all the nearby approaches, especially during the evening rush hour home from work. Police had to turn away a large number of semis from the US 45 approach to the river.

KYTC crews also had to help flag traffic through the four-way stops along US 60 along the route to Wickliffe.