Louisville's 3rd Street 'can opener' continues to feed on trucks during I-65 closure

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — As Louisville drivers adjust to the closure of a five-mile stretch of Interstate 65 this summer, a familiar city traffic hazard is seeing an increase in crashes.

As of June 3, Louisville Metro Police confirmed at least eight crashes involving large trucks were reported at low-clearance overpasses along 3rd Street near Winkler Avenue and Eastern Parkway.

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The overpasses are already notorious in the city, often referred to by locals as Louisville's "can opener" because of the oversized trucks that occasionally get wedged under the bridges.

As truck drivers search for alternate routes during the interstate closure, many are bypassing officials detours, which has led to an increase in these already familiar incidents.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said 29 warning signs were already posted near the overpasses prior to the closure. Three days into the construction, KYTC spokesperson Mindy Peterson announced that the department added to further signage to alert truck drivers to the low clearance.

Peterson emphasized that the designated detour routes exist for a reason — to steer large trucks away from local streets.

"This is absolutely not the route for them, they cannot be accommodated," Peterson said. "...they really need to pay attention to that signed detour. That is what that signed detour is intended for, is that through traffic, and keeping those large semis and trucks off of local roads is going to benefit everybody."

Click here to stay updated on the closure as it progresses.