GLENDALE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A day after a train derailed, there are concerns about the safety of the roads near Glendale, Kentucky, as crews continue to clean up the mess of train cars. 

CSX said Thursday the train, which was transporting cars, "went into emergency attempting to avoid a collision with a semitruck." It said 21 cars derailed because the train had to brake to avoid the truck that had bottomed out on a crossing.

Houston Howlett lives in Hardin County. He was in Glendale when the train derailment happened.

"I never would've dream that there that there would've been that level of damage in downtown Glendale. The truck didn't know not to go that way. There's some small signage posted and it's not real visible, and he got stuck on the tracks; and this is not the first time this has happened. We stop trucks all the time," Howlett said.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety's Elizabethtown office is about a 10-minute drive up the road from downtown Glendale. The office covers about 3,000 miles of state and federal highways in the surrounding 11 counties, with a staff of about 250.

IMAGES | Train derailment in Glendale, Kentucky topples multiple train cars

The derailment happened on Thursday afternoon in the center of town, after a semi got stuck on the tracks. 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Chief Engineer, Brad Bottoms, said they've been trying to prevent days like Thursday's train derailment. He said they got funding approved for a Highway Plan during last year's budget plans which would allow them to complete ongoing, road-widening plans on the nearby backroads and railroad crossings off Highway 222.

"This particular road, up until a couple of years ago, there were very few discussions on expanding it," Bottoms said. "In 2021, it carried about 125 cars a day, so a very, very low volume road. With the announcement of the Ford SK Battery Plant, in the end of '21, we started looking to improve that route."

Bottoms also said KYTC District 4 held a public meeting to discuss options last fall.

"The Kentucky legislature meets every year, and they do budget sessions every two years, so we have to have funds programmed into what we call our highway plans by the legislature to be able to move forward with a larger project like this," he said. "This project does have those funds. Those were approved in the 2022 Highway Plan, so we have been working on this project for the last year."

Hardin County Judge Executive Keith Taul said they would be "evaluating any Hardin County roads near the site to determine any upgrades and the needed financial resources."

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