WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — For much of the day, I-64 between Winchester and Lexington remained closed while crews worked on repairing a power line that had fallen on the interstate overnight. Unsurprisingly, route options became limited and traffic diversions caused congestion, especially in the Winchester area.
A few drivers, however, sat in more than just stop-and-go traffic. Instead, they were stuck for an extended period of time.
McKinley Hacker took her friend for a free birthday trip to Starbucks. The pair didn’t expect it to turn into an all-day affair.
“We wanted to get her free Starbucks and it took us 3 hours,” Hacker said. “We left our house at 10:30 a.m. I live 5 minutes from here and it's now 1 o'clock.”
They aren’t the only ones with this sort of experience.
Just a few cars forward, Susan Woodruff sat with her husband in the passenger seat. Woodruff said she had taken her husband to an eye appointment.
“He had to have eye surgery and (we're) stuck in traffic for three hours here.”
Arlia Bailey was a little further back in line and said she had sat there for 30 minutes.
“We haven't moved at all here,” she said. “I was also stuck up the road on Lex Avenue for about 20 minutes.”
The backup traces back to that I-64 road closure. While Lexington Road already had stop-and-go traffic moving at a slow pace, these drivers waiting to turn on to the road felt flat-out forgotten.
“We've been here for like an hour and they've only let cars out once,” Hacker said.
“There's people back here that's had minor surgery that want to get home,” said Woodruff. “This is poor run state. It really is. This town is poorly run.”
“It's just kind of hectic not knowing that it was going to be this way today,” Bailey said. “I only got an hour and I'm probably going to be a little late.”
“I have to be at work in 30 minutes and I don't think I’m going to make it,” Hacker added.
