I-40 Rock Slide Update

Workers from subcontractor Janod Construction today were unable to do any trim blasting at the top of a rock cliff overhang above the slope due to rainy weather. Blasting will resume on Tuesday, weather permitting.

Trim blasting is used to trim off overhanging rock structures. The results of the blasting will determine the next course of action as crews work to clear and stabilize the area where the slide took place.

Contractor Phillips & Jordan continued hauling debris from the bottom of the slope and moved material to make room for more boulders to land after they are blasted down the slope.

So far, crews have removed approximately 25,000 cubic yards of material – or about 50,000 tons – from the site to a nearby U.S. Forest Service site east on Interstate 40. This equates to about 100 million pounds or 2,500 full cement trucks. The Forest Service and the N.C. Department of Transportation will use the material for future road repair.

The last blast took place on Friday with State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti on site to push the detonator. The tentative plan is to remove the entire rock formation of the “cliff” nearest the highway. This slab is about 40 feet thick, 80 feet tall, about 120 feet long and weighs more than 25,000 tons.

The project will take several months to complete.

Travelers can still 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.

Additionally, travelers cannot take U.S. 64 from North Carolina into Tennessee due to a rockslide that blocked the highway near the Ocoee 2 Dam in Polk County, Tenn., about eight miles west of North Carolina. U.S. 64 will be closed for several months. Motorists are advised to take U.S. 74 to Tennessee 68 North at Ducktown through McMinn County, then onto I-75 at Sweetwater in Monroe County.

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, construction work and changes to the ferry schedule on Twitter. To access them, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/.

For daily rockslide updates, please visit the N.C. Department of Transportation Web site www.ncdot.gov and click on the I-40 rockslide daily news and information section. Interviews and on-site requests should go through the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 733-2522.

(Editor’s note: The attached photo shows the “cliff” of rock that has to be removed from the slope.)