Speed limit reduced on I-71/75 in NKY as crews work to clear Gallatin County backup

Glencoe, Kentucky (WXIX) – A temporary speed limit of 45 miles per hour will be in effect as traffic resumes on I-75 northbound in Gallatin County.

About 2 p.m. Saturday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said one lane of traffic was moving from mile marker 62 to mile marker 66.

A detour has been put up at Mile Marker 55 on I-71 North, directing people to exit 55 to prevent further backups on the Interstate. A driver can use the detour to get to his I-71 South.

Commercial trucks are on hold until Interstate 71 reopens northbound.

Efforts are underway to reduce backup traffic from Mile Marker 55 to Mile Marker 69 in Gallatin County.

Late Friday, an emergency alert was issued notifying drivers that another incident along Interstate 71 had resulted in the closure of the interstate for the second time that day.

“Avoid Interstate 71 in Gallatin County,” Gov. Andy Beshear said early Saturday morning. “Please stay away from the whole area.”

Initially, the line of backup vehicles parked on the interstate stretched 14 miles, according to the Kentucky Department of Transportation.

The Kentucky National Guard helped more than 700 vehicles turn overnight and travel south on I-71 North to Exit 62, the governor said in an update Saturday.

As of 6:30 am, KYTC said 7 miles of backup traffic had been cleared.

KYTC said it will take several more hours to clear the rest of the backed up traffic.

When traveling through northern Kentucky on I-71/75, watch your speed.

Boone County’s I-71/75 has merged at Mile Marker 77 and merged with Jefferson County’s I-264, so the temporary speed limit on I-71 has been lowered to 45 mph, Governor Beshear announced.

KYTC District 6 will be setting up message boards on Saturday afternoon to notify drivers of changes to speed limits.

Gallatin County’s Interstate 71 southbound is both open, but traffic is slow, according to KYTC.

Drivers stranded on interstates are encouraged to call 911 in case of an emergency.

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