I-40 Rockslide: New Rockslide Covers Sections of Westbound Lanes
– January 25, 2010
UPDATE Monday, January 25, 2010 at 4:49 PM
RALEIGH-A new rockslide occurred on the closed section of Interstate 40 sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning causing rocks and loose material to cover an additional small section of the westbound lanes.
This portion of the interstate has been closed since an original rockslide occurred on October 25, 2009. There was no traffic at the time of this occurrence.
The rockslide took place at Harmon’s Den Exit 7, about four miles east of the October 25th rockslide. Approximately 500 cubic yards of rock was released onto the highway, with the largest chunk being about the size of an SUV.
The rockslide was discovered on Saturday morning at 1:00 AM by a construction supervisor and the contractor working on the project to reopen the interstate’s westbound lanes.
Initial assessment at the site by NCDOT engineers and geotech experts concludes that it will take two to three weeks to clean up the material on the highway. However, NCDOT reports that this new rockslide should not slow down it’s scheduled reopening of the closed section of I-40 in March, depending on the weather conditions between now and then.
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.
RALEIGH – Work on drilling holes to install rock bolts on the mountainside where the rockslide occurred has been delayed due to the extreme cold at the site.
The cold weather created unsafe working conditions for crews working on the side of the mountain. The National Weather Service forecast a high of 24 degrees on Monday and a wind chill of minus 5 degrees overnight.
Drilling was stopped at noon on Saturday due to the cold and snow at the site. The National Weather Service forecasts extreme cold and snow showers throughout the week for Clyde, which is near the site. As of Monday afternoon, the forecast calls for:
· Highs ranging from 24 degrees today to 31 degrees on Thursday;
· Overnight lows ranging from 7 degrees tonight to 17 degrees on Thursday night;
· Chance of snow showers tonight, Tuesday and then again on Thursday and Friday.
DOT engineers will decide on a day-to-day basis if work crews can safely do the drilling needed to install the rock bolts during daytime hours. No work will be scheduled this week at night.
In all, 590 rock bolts will be installed on the mountainside as crews work to shore up the mountainside so that the highway can be safely reopened.
The extreme weather conditions make:
· Footing treacherous for workers on the steep, rocking terrain especially during times of snow or ice;
· Exposure to subfreezing temperatures a safety risk to workers;
· Equipment difficult to use as hydraulic systems used to operate drills don’t work as efficiently and drills freeze to the ground, making them difficult to move.
Work crews will continue to maintain the equipment so drilling can quickly resume once weather conditions improve. Crews also are building tarp enclosures where portable heaters can provide relief to workers on the slope.
Other work is still going on, including the handling of some 1.2 million pounds of material that is arriving at the site. The material, including rods, cable strands, and bags of grout, must be approved and then transported up the slope.
The section of the interstate where the rockslide occurred has been closed since Oct. 25. Estimates are the highway could reopen sometime in March, depending on weather conditions during the winter.
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 http://www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or calling 511, the state’s free travel information line, for current travel conditions.
Panoramic video of rockslide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQZOcGlxzc
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