Recovery efforts are entering the final stages following last Tuesday’s 31-car CSX train derailment, with officials still targeting a Monday afternoon reopening for U.S. Highway 41.
CSX reports that all non-hazardous rail materials should be removed by 10:00 a.m. Monday. Once the site is clear, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) will deploy maintenance equipment to address any remaining heavy debris. This will be followed by a coordinated roadway washdown led by the Trenton Volunteer Fire Department and a final sweeping by a specialized CSX scrubber unit.
The highway is tentatively scheduled to reopen at approximately 1:00 p.m. Monday, pending a successful safety inspection by KYTC. To ensure public safety, officials have postponed the planned movement of scrapped rail cars on county roads while CSX evaluates safer transport methods. Additionally, emergency management confirmed that the remaining molten sulfur rail cars are stable and pose no threat to the community.
