ARPT OPS CLOSES RWY AND NOTIFIES THE CLT TWR. CTLR PUTS INFO ON ATIS. CTLR CLRS IFR ACFT TO TAXI TO THE CLOSED RWY AND THEN CLRS THE ACFT FOR TKOF.

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ARPT OPS CLOSED RWY 18L FOR MAINT AT XA00. I TURNED OFF THE RWY LIGHTS AND PUT THE CLOSURE ON THE ATIS. 20 MINS LATER I (WORKING ALONE IN THE TWR) TAXIED AN ACFT TO THE CLOSED RWY AND ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC FORGETTING THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THE ACFT DEPARTED OVER VEHICLES ON THE RWY. FACTORS TO INCLUDE: 1) ARPT OPS -- WHEN CLOSING A RWY AND HAVING VEHICLES OPERATE ON THE RWY THEY SHOULD BE BETTER ILLUMINATED. THEY WERE NOT CLRLY VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. 2) PLT -- THE PLT DID NOT LISTEN TO THE ATIS OR QUESTION WHY THE RWY LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF. HE ALSO DID NOT SEE THE VEHICLE. 3) FAA -- ALTHOUGH THE FAA KNOWS RWY INCURSIONS TO BE A PROB THEY HAD NO MEMORY AIDS TO ALERT THE CTLR THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. NO ASDE; RIDS; NOR MEMORY STRIPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 410622: UPON TAXIING OUT OF CLT; I PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC FROM TWR AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TAXI TO RWY 18L AT INTXN A; WHICH I DID. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR TKOF FROM RWY 18L AT INTXN A AND TO FLY HDG 210 DEGS; WHICH I DID. LATER I WAS INFORMED BY CLT APCH CTL BY TELEPHONE THAT RWY 18L WAS CLOSED; AND THAT I CAME REALLY CLOSE TO HITTING A VEHICLE THAT WAS ON THE RWY.