Mayfield, Tenn.–The City of Mayfield, the Mayfield-Graves County Emergency Operations Center, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) have blocked a number of key highways and streets in downtown Mayfield.
The highway and street closures are to facilitate ramped-up debris removal work by insurance company contractors and by debris removal contractors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The debris removal involves heavy equipment at numerous locations. The ramped-up recovery activity is generating a large volume of truck traffic hauling material out of the downtown area.
Motorists are asked to avoid sections of KY 58 and KY 80 along Broadway in downtown Mayfield, as well as U.S. 45 between downtown and the intersection with Macedonia Street.
Kentucky National Guard units are stationed at key locations to enforce the closed roadways.
These closures are in place until further notice.
KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat said the high level of activity along the selected streets requires that they be closed.
“There will be heavy equipment working along every street in the tornado corridor,” Poat said. “There will be trucks hauling debris out of the corridor. Travel in Mayfield is limited to only those directly involved in the recovery effort.”
Poat emphasized that most businesses that have reopened can be accessed from the KY 121 Bypass, the KY 80 Mayfield South Bypass, or Interstate 69.
Moving traffic out of downtown Mayfield to the bypass routes also ensures emergency vehicles can efficiently respond to calls.
KYTC crews are working as quickly as possible to restore highway and street signage that was swept away by the tornado.
To get traffic advisories and alerts for KYTC District 1 counties via email please go to https://public.govdelivery.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1
Photo by Steve Elder.