I-40 rockslide

[CanesFan27]

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

[agentsteel53]

Hurricane Creek Road definitely snuck up on me ... I was almost over the Tennessee line before I was like "wait ... WHAT!?"

[Bryant5493]

News report on I-40 rockslide


Be well,

Bryant

[CanesFan27]

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

[CanesFan27]

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

[Alex]

Good weather may accelerate I-40 work in NC mtns

Rain, 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.

[CanesFan27]

I-40 in Western NC to re-open Tuesday, April 27th

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100422/NEWS/304220001

[huskeroadgeek]

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?

[CanesFan27]

The marked detour was I-240, I-26, I-81. 

[huskeroadgeek]

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.

[Alps]

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)

[dfilpus]

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.

[cpzilliacus]

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

[mgk920]

Time to go tunneling, I'd say!



Mike

[cpzilliacus]

Asheville Citizen-Times:

Rock slide shuts I-40 lanes west of Asheville

One lane of I-40 at rock slide could open by Feb. 14

I-40 has long history of slides; timeline of slides

[goobnav]

New slide on same section, Eastbound lanes are still open:

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/10685644/

[CanesFan27]

Yep...VMS's here in Raleigh all mention "I-40 West Closed near Tenn Border."

[broadhurst04]

Time to go tunneling, I'd say!



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.

[cpzilliacus]

Time to go tunneling, I'd say!



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.

[mgk920]

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

[CanesFan27]

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

[cpzilliacus]

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?

[codyg1985]

^ 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.

[Henry]

^ 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.

[hbelkins]

Honestly, US 25/US 70 is not that bad of a drive.