HARMON DEN, N.C. - It could take up to three months to completely clear debris on Interstate 40 after a rock slide early Sunday morning closed the roadway in both directions at mile marker 3 in Haywood County, according to officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The slide happened around 2 a.m. near the Tennessee border. Three vehicles ran into the rocks in accidents that happened within minutes of the slide, N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Tucker said. One woman sustained injuries that weren't life threatening, said Trooper Gene Williamson, traffic safety information officer with the Highway Patrol.
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I have relatives that live around there and i have been on that road and it is very narrow and dangerous with numerous accidents and rock slides. Maybe this will encourage north carolina and tennessee DOT'S to do something about this road but i do not see this coming. Very suprised no major injuries since this happened at 2am with only the car headlights to see this coming. The detour around this is I-26 to I-81 to I-40. click on the link to see aerial shots of the slide.
http://www2.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/rockslide_forces_permanent_closure_of_i-40_in_haywood_county/28664/ (http://www2.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/rockslide_forces_permanent_closure_of_i-40_in_haywood_county/28664/)
Quote from: barcncpt44 on October 26, 2009, 12:05:44 AM
I have relatives that live around there and i have been on that road and it is very narrow and dangerous with numerous accidents and rock slides. Maybe this will encourage north carolina and tennessee DOT'S to do something about this road but i do not see this coming.
I drove this two months ago and also remember how narrow it was.
I doubt anything will be done other than clearing the slide either as anything major would probably cost hundreds of millions into the billions of dollars as massive rock cut and/or tunnels much bigger than what currently exists would be required.
I've read this happens often on this section.
On my first trip to the South in April and May 1997, there was a rock slide on Interstate 40 at mile marker 1 in North Carolina and I remember the news reports about the frequency of these slides in the past. Apparently, these parts of the Appalachian Mountains are geologically unstable. It took quite some time to clean-up the slide and only two lanes of Interstate 40 were open for traffic.
Wow, just missed that by about two weeks. Rockslides, landslides, highway collapses..you name it have plagued this stretch of I-40 for years. As for doing something about it, it's really next to impossible given the terrain and the cost of such project. Minor safety improvements is about it.
Wait until someone is killed. Then they'll do something about it.
Maybe a school bus full of children.
Or the occasional vehicle or truck that drives off the road (not to be found months later). It's happened a number of times.
Editorial in the Greensboro News Record on the I-40 rockslide...with some historical perspective.
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/10/28/article/editorial_highways_choke_point (http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/10/28/article/editorial_highways_choke_point)
The Asheville Citizen-Times has started a feature page on the rock slide. It will be the best source on the clean-up and reconstruction of I-40. The site also has photos and archived stories from the July 1997 slide (in the same general area) and some great archive photos of I-40 construction in the area from the 1960s.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=999991026016&template=theme&theme=ROCKSLIDE (http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=999991026016&template=theme&theme=ROCKSLIDE)
The NHTSA only valued a human life in 2003 at ~3.3 million dollars, it would take many deaths to consider an alternative.
The Asheville Citizen-Times continues to do a great job covering all the angles of the Interstate 40 Haywood County rock slide.
An article in Sunday's edition provides a strong historical perspective on how the Pigeon River routing of Interstate 40 came about. And perhaps most strikingly, in an article that ran just prior to the highway's opening in the fall of 1968, how engineers from both Tennessee and North Carolina warned "...that slides would probably be a major problem along the route for many years."
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091101/NEWS01/911010355&theme=ROCKSLIDE (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091101/NEWS01/911010355&theme=ROCKSLIDE)
Blog Summary:
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-40-rockslide-uncovers-old-debates-on.html (http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-40-rockslide-uncovers-old-debates-on.html)
Now add emergency repairs to I-81 at Exit 23 to the mess. I-81 will see 12 hour closures over the next two weekends to repair cracked support beams carrying US 11E over the highway.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/10/tdot-announces-upcoming-detour-i-81/ (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/10/tdot-announces-upcoming-detour-i-81/)
It is not the only rockslide recently... :wow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUXhjPkGBtU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUXhjPkGBtU)
I would probably require a change of pants if that happened right in front of me...
Man talk about fortunate timing! Both on catching on tape and, even more so, after the equipment was out of the way! :wow:
I'm sure that the excess rain we've had in this part of the world this year has been a contributing factor in these rock slides.
Damn! Good thing no one got hurt!
I've went invesigating over there yesterday. It only took me 3 hours to get there because I live in Northeast, TN :-P
If the detour around I-40 wasn't frustrating enough for some motorists, along the detour route the Interstate 81 repairs and temporary closure at Exit 23 in Eastern Tennessee took about two and a half hours longer than expected today. The delay caused lengthy backups on northbound I-81 from about 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. There will be a similar closure on the southbound lanes next weekend
Story:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/15/tdot-overnight-bridge-i-81-work-causes-very-long-b/ (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/15/tdot-overnight-bridge-i-81-work-causes-very-long-b/)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibNQWZB7dEA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibNQWZB7dEA)
Here is a video of the section of freeway in question from Freewayjim. 3:50 starts the portion with the rock cuts. I'm guessing the rockslide occurred somewhere around the 5 minute mark.
I traveled this road in 2007; it is very scenic, though winding and there are rather impressive mountains on both sides of the road.
Google Maps:
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I'm not sure if I understand what is going on there. I-40 is closed so Google Maps shows it as not existing???
Quote from: agentsteel53 on December 14, 2009, 11:41:57 AMI-40 is closed so Google Maps shows it as not existing???
That's right. I found out they do that with high mountain passes in Switzerland during the winter too (when the passes are closed for the season).
It's still there, they just downgraded it to a local road, so it doesn't show up when zoomed out.
EDIT: And why is there an at-grade intersection on that portion?
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Rochester,+Monroe,+New+York&ll=35.679836,-83.029143&spn=0.005342,0.011319&t=h&z=17
Quote from: deanej on December 14, 2009, 05:06:40 PM
EDIT: And why is there an at-grade intersection on that portion?
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Rochester,+Monroe,+New+York&ll=35.679836,-83.029143&spn=0.005342,0.011319&t=h&z=17
I think those are fire roads for the National Forest. I remember wondering the same thing when I drove by them in August.
Yes they are fire roads for the National Forest, but also used by campers, hikers and what not. Some of the at-grades actuallly have street sign blades.
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2008/04/street-signs-on-interstate-no-way.html
Hurricane Creek Road definitely snuck up on me ... I was almost over the Tennessee line before I was like "wait ... WHAT!?"
News report on I-40 rockslide (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVQkUR0EZuw)
Be well,
Bryant
Another rockslide on I-40...this time at mile 6.5 at the Harmon's Den exit (Exit 7). This was a smaller slide compared to the 10/25/09 slide. Fortunately since I-40 was closed to traffic, no one was on the highway when it occurred last weekend.
It should take 3-4 weeks for the slide to be cleaned up. NCDOT has said that they don't forsee this slide impacting their estimated March re-opening for I-40 through the western mountains.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100126/NEWS01/301260016&theme=ROCKSLIDE
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/301205.html
NCDOT has a twitter site on the I-40 rockslide:
http://twitter.com/i40_rockslide
Kinda late on posting this, but the re-open date for I-40 in Western NC has been pushed back to at LEAST late April.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100224/NEWS01/302240030
Good weather may accelerate I-40 work in NC mtns (http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/19/396905/good-weather-may-accelerate-i.html)
QuoteRain, snow and cold weather this winter has slowed the work. But crews say sunshine and warmer temperatures forecast for Friday or Saturday should help them install 100 more bolts into holes drilled deep in the mountain.
Quantcast
Transportation officials say 170 of the 590 rock bolts have already been installed.
The road is scheduled to reopen in late April.
I-40 in Western NC to re-open Tuesday, April 27th
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100422/NEWS/304220001
What has the marked detour for this route been? Having been through that area, I imagine a complete closing of I-40 was quite a bit of a headache since there are no real nearby roads. I assume the detour was US 25/70 and I-26 between Newport, TN and Asheville?
The marked detour was I-240, I-26, I-81.
Wow, that's a pretty long detour. Seems to me like US 25/70 would be a much better(definitely shorter) alternative-that's probably what I would have done. I guess they like to keep marked detours on other interstates though as much as possible.
Quote from: CanesFan27 on April 24, 2010, 12:06:08 PM
I-40 in Western NC to re-open Tuesday, April 27th
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100422/NEWS/304220001
Google Maps to re-open I-40 Friday, July 16 (thousands of comments later)
Quote from: huskeroadgeek on April 24, 2010, 05:16:43 PM
Wow, that's a pretty long detour. Seems to me like US 25/70 would be a much better(definitely shorter) alternative-that's probably what I would have done. I guess they like to keep marked detours on other interstates though as much as possible.
The posted detour was to keep the truck traffic off of US 25/70, which was a good thing.
From Raleigh, the generally used detour was US 52/I 74/I 77/I 81, which is faster than the I 26 detour.
Another rock-related I-40 closure in the same area, this time the problem is in Tennessee: Unclear how long I-40 will be closed by slide (http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8525566)
Time to go tunneling, I'd say!
:nod:
Mike
Asheville Citizen-Times:
Rock slide shuts I-40 lanes west of Asheville (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120201/NEWS/302010029/Rock-slide-could-close-40-lanes-weeks)
One lane of I-40 at rock slide could open by Feb. 14 (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120201/NEWS01/120201007/One-lane-40-rock-slide-could-open-by-Feb-14)
I-40 has long history of slides; timeline of slides (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120131/NEWS01/120131002/I-40-has-long-history-slides-timeline-slides)
New slide on same section, Eastbound lanes are still open:
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/10685644/
Yep...VMS's here in Raleigh all mention "I-40 West Closed near Tenn Border."
Quote from: mgk920 on January 31, 2012, 10:10:10 PM
Time to go tunneling, I'd say!
:nod:
Mike
If I were running NCDOT and money were no object, that's exactly what I would do. But remember, this is the same agency that put I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge instead of the more geologically sound Madison County because Haywood County politicians wanted to crow about having an Interstate, and the same agency that blew a ugly hole in Beaucatcher Mountain in downtown Asheville to complete I-240 instead of tunneling through like they did with US 70. Plus, they'll probably say it has to be tolled to pay for it.
Quote from: broadhurst04 on February 03, 2012, 10:01:12 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on January 31, 2012, 10:10:10 PM
Time to go tunneling, I'd say!
:nod:
Mike
If I were running NCDOT and money were no object, that's exactly what I would do. But remember, this is the same agency that put I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge instead of the more geologically sound Madison County because Haywood County politicians wanted to crow about having an Interstate, and the same agency that blew a ugly hole in Beaucatcher Mountain in downtown Asheville to complete I-240 instead of tunneling through like they did with US 70. Plus, they'll probably say it has to be tolled to pay for it.
I've only driven this segment of I-40 twice, and not especially recently.
But the route, in spite of its shortcomings, is certainly a scenic ride.
Regarding the I-240 cut, this isn't the only time that a highway has been routed through a cut instead of a mountain tunnel. You may have heard of the massive cut through Sidling Hill that was blasted by contractors working for Maryland State Highway Administration when they built the eastern segment of I-68 through Washington County in the late 1980's and early 1990's?
And, of course, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has bypassed several of its original highway tunnels.
Open cuts are generally cheaper for a state transportation agency to operate, and unlike tunnels, there is no reason to ban or restrict HAZMAT placarded loads.
Also the mind-blowing cut to eliminate the tunnel on the West Virginia Turnpike!
I hearya on cost, but such a major highway being down for such a large percentage of its time is not useful for commerce. There are several places along its way where those twists and turns can be cut off with tunnels with the remaining 'open' parts being protected with snowshed-like roofs where needed.
Mike
This section of I-40 already has some tunnels along it.
Ever since I-40 opened through here it's been nothing but trouble. The road has already been slightly realigned once.
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-40-rockslide-uncovers-old-debates-on.html
Quote from: CanesFan27 on February 05, 2012, 04:05:31 PM
This section of I-40 already has some tunnels along it.
Ever since I-40 opened through here it's been nothing but trouble. The road has already been slightly realigned once.
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-40-rockslide-uncovers-old-debates-on.html
Perhaps it is time for TnDOT, NCDOT and FHWA to do a cost-benefit analysis of something new for this section of I-40, either a new alignment, or tunneling - or (an admittedly) massive and very expensive blasting job to move the slope of the rocks well back from the road?
^ I am waiting for them to just give up and cosign I-40 with I-81 and I-26 and let nature take its course along the existing I-40 through the Pigeon River gorge. I could see that happening before a massive project to actually fix I-40 through that gorge.
Quote from: codyg1985 on February 07, 2012, 07:13:22 AM
^ I am waiting for them to just give up and cosign I-40 with I-81 and I-26 and let nature take its course along the existing I-40 through the Pigeon River gorge. I could see that happening before a massive project to actually fix I-40 through that gorge.
Not going to happen. A tunnel would be nice, but then it would be prohibitively expensive, and one could only imagine the same problems encountered on the existing road that might impact such a project.
As for a detour around the area, I'd suggest going US 421/US 321/I-26/I-81.
Honestly, US 25/US 70 is not that bad of a drive.
Annoying as it is at times, I'm thankful I have the I-20-I-75-I-24 "Atlanta alternative" route when I need to travel from Columbia, SC to the Nashville, TN area. I think it's only about 15 miles longer.
Now if they really built I-3, I'd probably find a way to make it my route to TN, just for the hell of it...
But anyway, looks like one lane of I-40 westbound has been open since Sunday...
http://news.tn.gov/node/8382
News & Observer: DOT crews clearing I-40 rockslide that closed a lane near Tennessee border (http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/17/1939428/another-rockslide-along-i-40-closes.html)
QuoteWAYNESVILLE -- Workers from the North Carolina Department of Transportation worked Saturday to clear a 50-ton rockslide that landed partially in a land of Interstate 40 about 7 miles from the Tennessee border, an agency spokeswoman said.
QuoteThe slide happened shortly after midnight and forced officials to close the right lane of the highway. The spokeswoman said crews had to wait until daylight to assess the rock face to determine if it was safe for removal crews to work. They hoped to reopen the lane by Saturday evening.
More fun with falling and fallen rocks along I-40 in western North Carolina.
News & Observer: Rock slide closes all but one westbound lane on I-40 in Haywood County (http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/12/22/2561217/rock-slide-closes-all-but-one.html)