LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — As Louisville drivers adjust to the Interstate 65 closure, some truck drivers are bypassing official detours and creating new headaches for businesses and neighborhoods along the route.
The closure of a five-mile stretch of I-65 has forced motorists onto alternate routes, but some semitruck drivers are attempting to cut through residential streets in Old Louisville rather than following the designated detour around Interstate 264.
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At Burger Boy Diner on South Brook Street, owner Dan Borsch said he has watched a steady stream of tractor-trailers navigate roads not designed for large commercial vehicles.
"I’ve been surprised by the number of trucks that weren’t diverted," Borsch said.
The restaurant sits near one of the alternate routes being used by drivers trying to avoid the interstate closure. Borsch said the influx of truck traffic has created congestion and difficult turns on narrow neighborhood streets.
"As we stand here, we are watching multiple semitrucks trying to navigate a tiny turn, barely able to make it, and it’s not even peak rush hour yet," he said.
The unofficial truck detours have also led some drivers to a familiar obstacle in Louisville: the low railroad overpass at Third Street and Eastern Parkway, commonly known as the "can opener."
Several trucks got stuck under or struck the overpass Monday and Tuesday despite warning signs posted in the area.
"I don’t think they were aware of the height limits on their truck," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said.
University of Louisville student Eli Scroggie, a civil engineering major, said collisions with the overpass are common enough that students recognize the sound immediately.
"Usually when it happens, it’s like midday, so we’re in class," Scroggie said. "It’s just like a loud thunder sound and at this point we all know what it is."
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said 29 warning signs are already posted near the overpass. KYTC spokesperson Mindy Peterson announced Tuesday that the department plans to add further signage to alert truck drivers to the low clearance.
Peterson also said 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."
Some business owners worry the traffic disruptions could discourage customers from visiting.
"I know I’ve had some regulars that have been inconvenienced to the point where they didn’t want to come deal with it," Borsch said. "Hopefully the good outweighs the bad, and we’re all going to have to put up with it to some degree."
Transportation officials continue to urge truck drivers to follow their GPS directions and use the designated westbound I-264 detour rather than cutting through residential neighborhoods.
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