RALEIGH – The stretch of Interstate 40 closed by a rockslide should reopen on Tuesday, April 27.
This section of I-40 near the Tennessee border has been closed in both directions since the rockslide occurred on Oct. 25. Before the rockslide, about 19,000 vehicles a day traveled on the road; approximately 45 percent were trucks.
“The county is ecstatic that DOT will be able to reopen the road as soon as the 27th,” said Kirk Kirkpatrick, chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. “Our entire county is looking forward to being able to travel once again on I-40, which is not just a road but a lifeline.”
Crews still have several tasks to complete before the road reopens, including:
- Drilling 10 more holes on the vertical edge of the slope;
- Installing 31 more rock bolts in the mountain;
- Grouting 225 rock bolts;
- Placing 15 pound plates and one pound nuts on 300 rock bolts;
- Completing construction of a ring net fence – 10 feet high, 110 feet long – to protect motorists from loose rocks or debris that might tumble from the rockslide site;
- Putting traffic control plans into place.
The total cost for the project is estimated to be $12.9 million of which about 80 percent will be reimbursed by the federal government.
Work will continue in the area through the summer as crews complete stabilization efforts – including the installation of rock bolts and anchor mesh – at five additional sites. Both eastbound lanes will be open; however, one westbound will be closed for about three miles for this work.
A video detailing how the helicopter ferries rock bolts to the mountain has been posted on NCDOT’s YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/NCDOTcommunications. Click on, “Setting the Rock Bolts.”
This section of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border has been closed in both directions since the rockslide occurred Oct. 25.
Travelers still can reach Western North Carolina via I-40 from the east and I-26 to the north and south. Exits 20 and 27 on I-40 provide access to popular destinations west of Asheville. In Tennessee, exits 432 through 451 provide access to popular destinations in southeastern Tennessee.
The detour route is 53 miles longer and is an additional 45 minutes to an hour driving time. Motorists traveling on I-40 West should take Exit 53B (I-240 West) in Asheville and follow I-240 West to Exit 4A (I-26 West). Follow I-26 West (a North Carolina Scenic Highway) to I-81 South in Tennessee. Take I-81 South and follow it back to I-40 at mile marker 421. Eastbound motorists should use the reverse directions.
NCDOT reminds motorists to stay alert, follow instructions on the message boards on the highways, obey the posted speed limit, leave early and travel at non-peak times when possible. Plan ahead before driving by visiting the NCDOT Traveler Information Management System Web site at www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or calling 511, the state’s free travel information line, for current travel conditions.
NCDOT also provides alerts about traffic congestion and construction work on Twitter. To access them, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/. For daily rockslide updates, please visit the NCDOT Web site at www.ncdot.gov and click on the I-40 rockslide daily news and information section or follow work on the rockslide project on Twitter at http://twitter.com/i40_rockslide.
via NCDOT/PIO Releases.
You might be interested in these posts:
[...] the rest at… I40 At The Tennessee – North Carolina Border About Ready To Reopen • North Carolina Mountain Dre…. By Gary Boyd April 21st, 2010 | Tags: Appalachian Mountains, I-40, North Carolina, Travel [...]