Substantial progress made in train derailment clean-up, roadway could reopen Monday

As we head into a new week and a new year, clean-up continues following a train derailment in Todd County near the town of Trenton.

The derailment of 31 train railcars happened in the morning hours on December 30, completely shutting down Highway 41 between Pembroke in Christian County and Trenton in Todd County. No one was hurt in the incident, and following the hazmat clean-up of molten sulfur that had spilled, work has been underway to clear debris.

Todd County Emergency Management has been working with CSX and other agencies and as of Saturday afternoon, officials say substantial progress has been made in clean-up efforts. The removal of remaining non-hazardous rail materials is progressing as planned, with completion anticipated by Sunday evening, and with calm weather in the forecast, recovery operations was expected to continue fairly unhindered.

Scrapped boxcars from the derailment will be transported off-site, with some movements potentially occurring on county roadways. These transports will involve oversized loads on stretched trailers and will require appropriate escorts ensure safety.

Highway 41 will remain closed for the remainder of the weekend, with the hope that it will reopen fully to traffic on Monday—if all safety requirements are met.

Residents and motorists are asked to continue avoiding the area for the time being, and another update will let all know when the roadway officially reopens.