CSX in coordination with Todd County Emergency Management, completed debris removal, site stabilization, and roadway cleaning. KYTC inspected the affected portion of US 41 and confirmed the roadway was safe for normal traffic operations.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Cleanup of the 31 derailed train cars along US 41 in Todd County is expected to be completed today.
Todd County Emergency Management posted on Sunday afternoon that CSX indicates all non-hazardous rail materials should be removed by 10 am, and the highway is tentatively scheduled to open around 1 p.m. pending inspection by KYTC.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will deploy maintenance equipment to handle any remaining heavy debris. That will be followed by a coordinated roadway washdown by the Trenton Volunteer Fire Department and a final sweeping by a specialized CSX scrubber unit.
To ensure public safety, CSX has postponed Tuesday's planned movement of scrapped rail cars on county roads until officials can evaluate safer transport methods.
Todd County Emergency Management confirmed that the remaining molten sulfur rail cars are stable and pose no threat to the community. Earlier concerns were voiced about possible effects of changing temperatures or future precipitation on the rail cars.
The train derailed on the morning of Dec. 30 near Trenton Tress Shop Road and Dixie Bee Line Highway in Trenton by the Christian County boundary.
Photo: Todd County Emergency Management
