LA 5 traffic back to normal in wake of 16-car train derailment in Keachi

KEACHI, La. (KSLA) — Traffic on Louisiana Highway 5 returned to normal as of 11 a.m. Sunday (Jan. 29) in the wake of a train derailment that spurred an evacuation, the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office reports.

This includes the section between Keachi and Kickapoo.

“Everyone that wished to go home has been allowed back home, but Depot Road is still closed to unnecessary traffic,” Sheriff Jayson Richardson said Sunday evening.

There are no other road closures.

The derailment occurred late Friday (Jan. 27) and caused a chemical spill, spurring the evacuation of an area in Keachi.

Preliminary inspection indicated that 16 railcars derailed. Of those 16, two tank cars were leaking “an acid-related product.” The acids react to water/moisture, releasing vapor. Louisiana State Police says the two rail cars that released the chemicals have since been contained.

The chemical release is what spurred the evacuation of those within a one-mile radius. A shelter was set up at the Stonewall Community Center.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO) noted on Facebook that the derailment also caused the closure of the southbound lane of Louisiana Highway 789 at Keithville-Keatchie Road.

Southbound traffic was detoured least via Keithville-Keatchie Road.

Caddo authorities urged motorists to avoid the area or find another route.

Copyright 2023 KSLA. All rights reserved.