Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025:
- Another CDLs-for-bribes scheme has been busted -- this time in Louisiana.
- Two new I-65 parking facilities come online as part of a larger effort to improve rest areas.
- In other I-65 news, three bridges in a major city along the corridor rated in poor condition will be replaced over the next two years.
Six charged in Louisiana CDL bribery scheme
A restaurant owner, two Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) employees, two truck driver training business operators and a CDL skills test examiner have been charged in an indictment that alleges a bribery scheme enabled drivers to obtain CDLs without undergoing any of the required training or testing.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced the indictment. It alleges New Orleans restaurant owner Mahmoud Alhattab, in exchange for payments from CDL applicants, bypassed each of the three main federally-mandated steps of the CDL qualification process -- knowledge testing, entry-level driver training and skills testing.
To defeat the knowledge test requirement, Alhattab allegedly bribed two employees of a Donaldsonville, Louisiana, OMV office. These two employees, Jenay Davis and Shakira Millien, are accused of completing knowledge tests for applicants in exchange for payments from Alhattab. The indictment also alleged that Davis and Millien, when taking the applicants’ tests, performed internet searches to find the answers.
To defeat the training requirement, Alhattab allegedly bribed two men who operated truck driver training businesses. These two business operators, Christopher Byran Burns and Jonathan Parsons, are accused of reporting in a federal database that the applicants successfully completed training when, in truth, the applicants did not train.
To defeat the skills test requirement, Alhattab allegedly bribed Burns and Parsons, who, in addition to being trainers, were certified to administer the skills test. Burns and Parsons were accused of falsely reporting to the state of Louisiana that applicants had passed the skills test when, in truth, the applicants did not take the test.
Additionally, according to the indictment, on some occasions, Parsons paid another skills test examiner to assist in the scheme. That examiner, Marline Roberts, is accused of creating phony score sheets to corroborate the false test reports.
All six defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Alhattab and Parsons are each charged with two counts of honest services wire fraud. Burns, Davis and Roberts are each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud. Alhattab, Millien and Parsons are each charged with four counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Burns, Davis and Roberts are each charged with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The conspiracy and wire fraud counts are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The bribery counts are each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Each count may also be punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment fee.
[Related: Hundreds of CDLs sold for cash to illegal immigrants: Florida AG]
Indiana opens new I-65 truck parking facilities
The Indiana Department of Transportation has opened two new truck parking facilities on I-65 NB and SB in Lebanon near milemarker 148, adding 150 total truck parking spaces to the corridor.
The facilities, which opened Aug. 29, are intended for use primarily by truck drivers and, in addition to parking, offer restrooms.
“These are the second and third truck parking facilities we’ve opened as part of INDOT’s rest area and welcome center improvement plan,” said INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist. “This is progress toward helping alleviate parking shortages faced by the freight and logistics industries across the state.”
Expanding truck parking is part of INDOT's 10-year plan to improve interstate rest areas and welcome centers across Indiana. INDOT plans call for an investment of over $600 million in improvements to 21 rest areas, welcome centers, and truck parking facilities, by the end of fiscal year 2034.
“Part of INDOT’s plan is to add more than 1,200 additional semitruck parking spaces over the next several years,” said Matt Ubelhor, Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure. “This will nearly double the current capacity on the existing network, providing safe options for drivers to stop, rest, and recharge.”
[Related: New mega truck stop aims for unforgettable experience]
Kentucky plans big I-65 bridge project
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has announced a $150 million construction project to replace three aging bridges in Louisville and ensure that I-65 will support business and travel throughout the region for decades to come.
This is the first phase of the I-65 Central Corridor Project, a bridge replacement and rehabilitation initiative to ensure safe and sound bridges along one of Kentucky’s busiest transportation arteries, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) said.
As part of this project, bridges will be replaced over Kentucky and Brook streets; Hill Street, a CSX rail line and Burnett Avenue; and Bradley Avenue. Work will be completed on these bridges by mid-2027.
“On Team Kentucky, we know better roads and bridges build a better future,” Beshear said. “We want to ensure our families get where they need to go safely, and we know good roads connect people to good jobs and show companies around the world that we are open for business. As a Kentuckian who worked for many years in downtown Louisville, I have driven this I-65 corridor countless times, and I understand the significance of this project. This is the first step in getting it done.”
Each of the three bridges, KYTC said, are more than 60 years old and rated in poor condition, requiring more frequent inspections to ensure they are safe for continued use. Each will be getting fully replaced, including earth embankments, foundations, piers, beams, decks and pavement
The project will move forward in three phases:
- Now through June 2026: Work will occur beneath the interstate with minimal impact to traffic.
- June–July 2026: A full closure of I-65 between Jefferson Street and the Watterson Expressway will allow for accelerated construction that will save at least a year to construct these bridges. Traffic will be detoured via I-264 West and I-64 West. On-ramps at Jefferson Street and Liberty Street/Muhammad Ali Boulevard will remain open.
- August 2026: I-65 will reopen to traffic with reduced capacity. KYTC has included significant penalties in the construction contract to avoid delays. While I-65 will be open starting August 2026, crews will continue work through mid-2027. Drivers should expect some off-peak lane closures and periodic impacts as the project wraps up.
- Fall 2026–Spring 2027: Crews expect to start work on at least three additional bridges. Construction dates have not been finalized, but KYTC expects to keep I-65 open with reduced lanes during this phase of construction.
“We understand the inconvenience of closing an interstate, so it was important to us to let the public know more than nine months in advance,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “We don’t make this decision lightly, but this option will shrink the construction period considerably to avoid prolonged traffic impacts, and it considers the input of area stakeholders to steer clear of major events. We’re committed to doing all we can to coordinate all of our construction projects in the region to keep travelers moving as we work to upgrade our transportation network to improve your commute for decades to come.”
Extensive detour plans and alternate routes will be shared well in advance to help drivers plan travel and reduce disruptions.
A dozen additional bridges in the corridor are part of the project but are dependent on available funding. Kentucky has applied for a Large Bridge Investment Program grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide additional funding. If awarded, the grant would allow KYTC to expedite this project and continue improvements to the I-65 Central Corridor.
[Related: I-26 bridges in Tennessee fully reopened 11 months after Hurricane Helene]
