This is a breaking weather story and is updated as more information comes to the newsroom.
PADUCAH — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says crews are responding to reports of slick spots overnight as round one of an extended winter weather event moves through the area.
KYTC says reports of slick spots across District 1 started around 1 a.m.
A deadly crash is blocking both lanes of traffic on U.S. 68/KY 80 at the Woodland Trace interchange in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. This is along U.S. 68 at the 3 mile marker in Trigg County.
As of 7 a.m., the U.S. 45 Ohio River “Brookport” Bridge is closed due to icing on the metal decking. KYTC says the bridge will remained closed until temperatures rise and the ice melts. The Brookport bridge is between Paducah and Brookport, Ill.
Numerous highways are blocked in Lyon County due to ice on bridges and overpasses, according to KYTC.
Crews on the road in Lyon County helping the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, Kentucky State Police, and area emergency response agencies with multiple semi truck crashes along I-24 and I-69.
Emergency personnel are responding to crashes mainly on bridges and overpasses that have iced over in the early morning hours.
Crashes in Lyon County have been reported at the following locations:
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I-24 is blocked in both directions at the 46 mile marker — Estimated duration 1 hour.
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I-69 is open at the 71 mile marker — the jackknifed SEMI has been moved off the roadway
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I-24 Eastbound is cleared at the 35 mile marker (Cumberland River Bridge) — All lanes open
Crash on I-24 westbound mile marker 46.
Crash on I-24 westbound mile marker 46.
Crash on I-24 westbound mile marker 46.
Drivers are advised to avoid these areas for the next three to five hours as delays are likely.
KYTC says personnel are salting bridges and overpasses as they are able to access areas near the crash sites. Traffic backups have hampered trucks trying to reach critical locations.
Paducah and McCracken County 911 dispatch has also reported crashes along Interstate 24 between the 10 and 13 mile marker with traffic restricted to one-lane due to several jackknifed SEMI trucks.
The McCracken County Sheriff’s Department says as of 1 a.m. some bridges and roadways county wide are completely iced over on I-24. The sheriff’s department is urging drivers to stay off I-24 unless absolutely necessary. If you have to drive, drive slowly and use extra caution on bridges.
The sheriff’s department also says Blandville Road began freezing around 3 a.m. and a large part of Blandville Road is completely iced over. If you have to drive, deputies are asking you to avoid that area until further notice.
Slick spots were reported along U.S. 45 in the Lone Oak area and near the I-24 Exit 7 Interchange, as well as along U.S. 60 into Ballard County.
Marshall County also has reports of slick spots along Interstate 69 and and U.S. 641.
The Benton Police Department says roads are a little wet and may be slick in spots. Calvert Police Department and the sheriff’s office are working several wrecks in the Draffenville area and north. Police say to take extra time and slow down, especially when driving over bridges, overpasses, and ramps.
The Graves County Sheriff’s Office says if you must drive today, drive slower than you usual. Deputies have already been on several collisions this morning as the roads are very slick and covered in ice.
Paducah Area Transit says it will only be running life-sustaining services Wednesday. All other routes will not be running.
You can check for closures by vising our Snowman 6 page.
KYTC says McCracken County was the first to put trucks on the road spreading salt on scattered trouble spots after several semi trucks jackknifed along I-24 in the Paducah area. Through the morning hours, KYTC says highway crews in Marshall, Ballard, Graves, Lyon, and Carlisle counties have put trucks on the roads to spread salt on trouble spots.
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KYTC District 1 says crews have trucks fueled and ready to roll out quickly for reports of slick spots. The District 1 Snow and Ice Team continues to closely monitor the developing snow and ice to coordinate response efforts.
Along with the Weather Authority Alert Local 6 has issued, the National Weather service also issued a Winter Storm Warning for much of the region as we track the potential of several rounds of freezing rain and winter mix through Thursday, followed by extreme cold temperatures into next week.
KYTC is reminding drivers that travel may become hazardous due to the likelihood of accumulating ice. While ice accumulations are not expected to get as bad as the ice storm of 2009, KYTC says there still might be travel disruptions and the potential for damage to trees and power lines is significant. The transportation cabinet says highway crews are checking chain saws and other tree-clearing equipment as a precaution.
Local utility companies are also preparing for potential power outages.
KYTC says crews have pretreated roadways, however, once the ice starts to accumulate, the ability to improve driving conditions will be limited. KYTC warns extreme low temperatures into and through the weekend will severely limit the effectiveness of salt and other ice-fighting chemicals.
KYTC engineers are asking the public to avoid travel as the ice accumulates and crews will be focused on maintaining access on the roadways for emergency vehicles.
You can monitor the weather conditions right here at WPSDLocal6.com and on air during Local 6 Today. Due to the potential for power outages, Local 6 will be streaming our newscasts on our Facebook fan page. You can also download the Local 6 news app and turn on push notifications to make sure you get important updates.
Local 6’s Chief Meteorologist Trent Okerson says an Ice Storm Warning has been issued for all of the counties in pink, including all of west KY, the Missouri Bootheel, and NW Tennessee. An Ice Storm Warning means Ice accumulation ≥ 1/4 inch is expected in the warned areas.
As a comparison, the ice storm of 2009 was about an inch to two inches of ice.
Click here to see the full Weather Authority Alert.
Click here for Local 6’s interactive Radar.
Again, KYTC engineers are urging everyone to limit travel due to the potential for hazardous driving conditions.
To get traffic advisories and alerts via email go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/KYTC/signup/13651 and click on counties in Kentucky you regularly drive through or on any of the specialty corridors you travel. Be sure to check your SPAM filtering to assure Gov Delivery is on your approved list.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.
Navigate traffic at goky.ky.gov, at waze.com, or with the WAZE App.
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