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I-75 construction increases dispatch calls

Posted at 5:46 PM, Sep 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-09 18:18:36-04

ERLANGER, Ky. -- Construction on Interstate 75 north has caused a huge increase in police dispatches, according to the Erlanger Police Department.

The city said calls for service have tripled since the major road construction began in August. Now, the Kentucky State Police will be patrolling this stretch of the highway in an effort to relieve Erlanger police.

Jon Sterling, sergeant of the Erlanger Police Department, said a recent study has revealed why there are so many calls to dispatchers.

"The study that we just recently started has shown that we've taken about three times the amount of collisions and problems on that stretch of road as compared to this time last year," Sterling said.

Drivers are concerned with the narrow lanes of the highway.

Art Webster, of Batavia, thinks speed is an issue across the more narrow stretches of the highway.

"Everybody just flies through there and for those lanes to be that narrow they should be going that fast,” Webster said.

Nathan Ritchie is also concerned about the narrow lanes.

"On the highway it's getting so narrow to where if anything were to occur you would be stuck there forever,” Ritchie said. “If anybody makes any sudden movements around you you're subject to those movements and things that are going on.

“It seems like there's not enough room for everybody."

Sterling said another issue with the highway is trucks using the contra-flow lane, the single narrow lane on the left of the highway.

"When a car breaks down, if it runs out of gas, has a flat tire it's a wide enough lane that vehicles of a normal size can pass,” Sterling said. “What we've noticed is when that does cause a slowdown that larger vehicles and some commercial vehicles will try to use that lane when they're not supposed to, and then they can't pass and that causes even more gridlock.

“That's happened several times."