MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. — A semi hauling large spools of cable caused a major traffic disruption Tuesday afternoon after its shifting load triggered a crash on Interstate 24, shutting down the westbound lanes leading into Illinois for several hours.

According to KFVS, the crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. near Paducah when traffic suddenly stopped in a construction zone. The McCracken County Sheriff’s Office said the truck driver, a Houston, Texas, man, attempted to stop but the abrupt slowdown caused his heavy load to shift and several massive cable spools to break loose from the trailer.

The falling spools partially unwound, creating an extensive cleanup that forced westbound lanes of I-24 to remain closed for nearly five hours. Emergency crews from the Paducah Police Department, McCracken County Emergency Management, and multiple fire departments responded to the scene.

No injuries were reported, but the incident caused heavy backups across the region. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet activated an emergency detour route, directing westbound traffic off I-24 at Exit 16 and rerouting vehicles through U.S. 62 and U.S. 60 toward the McCracken-Ballard County line.

^{Photo credit: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet}

Due to bridge restrictions, passenger vehicles were allowed to cross the U.S. 45 Brookport Bridge, but semis were diverted to the U.S. 51 Cairo Bridge into Illinois. Governor Andy Beshear urged drivers to avoid the area as crews cleared debris and rewound the tangled spools.

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