Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 28, 2026:
- Construction season in full swing: Big I-65 closure ahead.
- 20 people in a sleeper? Mexican national busted for smuggling.
- Natural gas-powered Starship’s parade entry.
I-65 closure looming in Louisville to accelerate bridge replacement
Beginning June 1, a five-mile section of I-65 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, will close for two months as part of an ongoing bridge replacement project in the area.
The closure will be in place between the Watterson Expressway (I-264) and downtown Louisville (Jefferson Street). It’s expected to fully reopen on Saturday, Aug. 1.
I-65 bridges over Kentucky Street/Brook Street, Hill Street/CSX Railroad/Burnett Avenue, and Bradley Avenue near the fairgrounds are at the end of their service life and are being replaced.
Crews will make significant progress during the closure, demolishing and rebuilding part of the new deck and superstructure of each bridge. Accelerated work during the closure will save at least a year of additional restrictions and delays on I-65.
Construction on the I-65 Central Corridor will continue through the end of 2027. Local street closures and ramp closures will also be needed to complete the work on the corridor.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has published a complete list of planned street closures and ramp closures to accommodate construction.
A total of nine bridges on the I-65 corridor are being replaced or rehabilitated as part of the project. The first three bridges are those most in need of repair. The five-mile section of I-65 and the three bridges being replaced will reopen to two lanes of traffic in each direction when the closure ends in August.
Construction on the first three new bridges is expected to be complete in March 2027. The additional six bridges are the I-65 bridges over Liberty Street, Floyd Street, Chestnut Street, Jacob Street/Broadway/Gray Street, Muhammad Ali Boulevard/Brook Street, and the Muhammad Ali Boulevard on-ramp. The approach and schedule for those improvements are being finalized.
During the closure, through traffic will be detoured to I-264 (Georgia Davis Powers Expressway) on the west side of Louisville. This signed detour route has the most available capacity and creates the least traffic impacts. Some ramps to and from I-264 (Watterson Expressway) are being temporarily widened to help accommodate additional traffic during the closure.
Traffic accessing downtown Louisville will use the Jefferson Street exit from SB I-65. Traffic will also be able to access downtown Louisville via I-64. Traffic leaving downtown will use the ramp from East Liberty Street to access NB I-65, and the I-64 ramps will also be an option for drivers (Third Street and Ninth Street ramps).
[Related: Six-month I-70 closure ahead]
20 smuggled in truck’s sleeper
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) recently recovered 20 illegal immigrants hidden inside the sleeper compartment of a semi-truck during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in Webb County near Laredo.
On Monday, May 18, just after 6 p.m., a DPS Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a white Volvo tractor-trailer on I-35 near mile marker 28.
During the stop, the driver attempted to flee on foot but was immediately arrested.
A search of the Volvo revealed 20 illegal immigrants concealed in the sleeper.
The driver, Miguel Angel Velazquez Chavez, 25, a Mexican national, was charged with evading arrest and smuggling of persons. He was booked into the Webb County Jail. The 20 immigrants, including four minors, from Mexico and Guatemala, were referred to the United States Border Patrol.
Texas DPS’ Criminal Investigations Division (CID) continues to investigate the case.
Shell Starship participates in Indy 500 parade
The natural gas-powered Shell Starship over Memorial Day weekend took part in the 500 Festival Parade prior to the running of the Indianapolis 500, showcasing real-world applications of fuel efficiency technologies.
The rig appeared alongside floats, marching bands, giant balloons and all 33 Indy 500 drivers in a nationally recognized parade in downtown Indianapolis that attracts more than 200,000 spectators each year. 500 Festival
Shell Starship is part of the NTT IndyCar Series and has traveled more than 10,000 miles transporting the IndyCar Administrative Trailer since the race season began in early March.
Powered by natural gas and lubricated with Shell Rotella engine oil, Shell Starship stands as a real-world example of how advanced, lower-emission freight technology can show what is possible in commercial trucking efficiency.
[Related: 'Lab on wheels': Shell's third-generation Starship tractor]
