The Mountaineer

I-40 ROCK SLIDE UPDATE Crews begin rock busting, drilling

RALEIGH — Crews began breaking up large boulders on the ground and removing unstable rocks on the mountain yesterday as they begin work to clean up debris and stabilize the area where a rock slide occurred Oct. 25 on I-40 in North Carolina near the Tennessee line. The slide is about 150 feet high and 200-300 feet wide and the majority of debris is rock.The N.C. Department of Transportation has hired Phillips & Jordan Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn. and rock stabilization specialist Jonad Contractors of Champion, NY to perform the work. Specialized equipment that includes drills and excavators arrived on the scene Thursday, Oct. 29, from New York. The contractors are working to remove unstable rock on the face of the mountain and install a pulley system that will bring the drilling equipment up the face of the slope. On the ground, crews are breaking up the largest boulders lying in the road. This work will continue to take place over the next couple weeks.
At that time, officials will make a more in-depth assessment of the situation to provide a  better estimate of when the highway will reopen to traffic. Initial estimates are that it will take at least three months to reopen the road and about $10 million for clean up and repair.
Gov. Beverly Perdue has made an emergency declaration and is seeking federal funding to pay for clean up and repairs.
Travelers can still reach Western North Carolina via a number of routes. An official detour has been set up for inter-state traffic. Motorists traveling west to Tennessee should take I-40 West to I-240 West (Exit 53b) in Asheville to I-26 West (Exit 4a). Follow I-26 West from Asheville to I-81 South (Exit 8a) in Tennessee, back to I-40. Eastbound motorists will follow the reverse directions. A map is attached.
NCDOT reminds motorists to stay alert, travel at non-peak times and use alternate routes 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/.