Rock Slide Closes I-40 in HillbillyHeaven...

[motordavid]

Massive rock slide covers/closes I-40 in far western NC; the DOT
geniuses say it may be 3+ months to clear it and fix interstate...
similar to the Big Slide back in '87, but this one is mostly rocks and
boulders and more problematic. About 10 miles from our Joint and
a fabulous ride, (for an interstate), through the NC/TN Gorge.

Vid from the local BobbleHeads on the local ABC station:

ABC 13 - Top Stories

[AzNMpower32]

Yeah, I heard about that this morning on the Weather Channel. Must be a mess.

[motordavid]

We went out for a hammer-the-twisties spin in the VetteVert yesterday, and
my first choice was to buzz "the I-40 Gorge" and wander back via two lanes;
we got 3 miles on I-40 and came to a dead stop, as all lanes were being diverted
down into Rt 276 Maggie Valley.

Supposedly ~25,000+ cars/lotsa trucks go through that section of I-40, each
way, every day. It will be a slight inconvenience for turistas and a big PIA for
truckers to divert around. Can hardly wait to see the genius DOT at "work".

This occurred on a section that they spent nearly a year repairing after the Pigeon
River flooded out I-40, after the back to back Hurricanes, (Ivan & Frances), in
2004. Hope the state/Fed DOT Fund is up to snuff.

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by motordavid

Can hardly wait to see the genius DOT at "work".

This occurred on a section that they spent nearly a year repairing after the Pigeon
River flooded out I-40, after the back to back Hurricanes, (Ivan & Frances), in
2004. Hope the state/Fed DOT Fund is up to snuff.

VDOT would simply ask its officers to write up more tickets to raise money.

[brian5]

Originally Posted by motordavid

We went out for a hammer-the-twisties spin in the VetteVert yesterday, and
my first choice was to buzz "the I-40 Gorge" and wander back via two lanes;
we got 3 miles on I-40 and came to a dead stop, as all lanes were being diverted
down into Rt 276 Maggie Valley.

Supposedly ~25,000+ cars/lotsa trucks go through that section of I-40, each
way, every day. It will be a slight inconvenience for turistas and a big PIA for
truckers to divert around. Can hardly wait to see the genius DOT at "work".

This occurred on a section that they spent nearly a year repairing after the Pigeon
River flooded out I-40, after the back to back Hurricanes, (Ivan & Frances), in
2004. Hope the state/Fed DOT Fund is up to snuff.

OK, I have NO idea what you're talking about I guess you need to be from NC to understand...

[rayxi]

Don't you mean "the I-40"?

[motordavid]

Funny, Ray!

The local tectonic engineers think it was a "wedge" of two rock plates
splitting, exacerbated by the New Guinea-like rains we have had here all season.
Not the first big slide on that stretch of "the I-40". The top of the slide is hundreds of feet up the mtn side, with no roads to get to the summit
to start the remediation work.

Brian, it is somewhat analogous to a slide on I-684, shutting it down for 3-4 months...



Quick pic from the Asheville Citizens-Times...those are house sized boulders.
Happened at Mile Marker 3 near the western edge of NC and eastern TN border.
A fineazz piece of interstate, imo.
BR,mD

[brian5]

Originally Posted by motordavid

Funny, Ray!

<<snip>>

Brian, it is somewhat analogous to a slide on I-684, shutting it down for 3-4 months...

<<snip>>

I was just kidding. I understood but I couldn't get a mental picture as I didn't have Google Maps open

I know what it's like to have a major highway closed for months. I was in San Francisco and used to commute over the Bay Bridge to Concord each day until a section fell down in the earthquake in '89.

[blktoptrvl]

Glad I got home from the West Coast before that happened. One the way through the twisties that night, I kept looking at the "ROCKS" warning signs and remembering the last time it was closed for a massive slide.

I guess the good thing is that neither time do I remember hearing about any cars getting crushed.