Trucking technology aims to prevent bridge strikes during I-65 shutdown
Trucking technology aims to prevent bridge strikes during I-65 shutdown
Publish Date: 2026-06-05 16:56:00
Source Domain: www.wave3.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Nine vehicles hit a low bridge dubbed the ‘can opener’ near the University of Louisville campus during the first three days of the I-65 summer shutdown, prompting questions about how the crashes keep happening despite numerous warning systems.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet posted a video Friday showing more than 30 signs now warning truck drivers near the infamous ‘can opener’ bridge. In a report published last year, KYTC told the federal government Kentucky averaged 364 bridge hits each year.
Transportation technology companies say the crashes are avoidable with the right tools.
How the technology works
Rob Abbott, vice president of corporate strategy for Fleetworthy, said his company provides safety alerts to drivers to avoid hazards.
“We provide in-cab safety notifications that alert drivers in the moment and in the place to pending safety issues so they can take evasive maneuvers and prevent crashes,” Abbott said.
The notifications are broadcast into truck cabs through tablets, fleet management systems or smartphones in partnership with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Drivers on routes heading toward Louisville from any direction receive alerts about the road closure and are told to consider alternate routes or take detours while avoiding local routes.
“We’re providing in-cab notifications to literally tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of vehicles through the circumstances there,” Abbott said. “We’ve already provided thousands of notifications.”
Many routes are restricted for trucks by weight or because of overhead risks such as low bridges.
Abbott said the service is available free of charge without a paid subscription.
“The information that’s ported to those dynamic messaging boards that sit over the top of freeways, we’re getting that same information from the Department of Highways and broadcasting it into the cabs of trucks,” Abbott said. “Truck drivers are getting those notifications…
