All lanes of I-40 near the Tennessee line reopened just before 6 p.m. Thursday, as the DOT worked all day to eliminate potential rockfall hazards.
Traffic had been detoured all day causing headaches for some drivers. One driver heading to Indiana says, "we're ready to get on the road and get there." Trucker Mike Blaylock says the detour will "put me behind a bit."
Westbound drivers heading toward Tennessee were being detoured off at Exit 20 in Haywood County, the Maggie Valley exit, and rerouted back to Asheville to pick up Interstates 26 and 81, and reconnect with I-40 near Knoxville. Eastbound motorists had to reverse this detour.
Message boards alerting motorists to the road closure were in place since shortly before noon on Tuesday. Crews were also stationed at I-40's Exit 20 on Thursday to hand out papers with detour information to motorists. Shutting down the interstate at Exit 20 was necessary because it provided the safest, most accessible detour route for the traveling public.
DOT officials anticipated the work to remove the loose rock and cart it away, would continue into Thursday evening. But, crews were able to finish earlier than expected.
A week ago, rocks began falling down the mountainside at mile marker 8. DOT geologists determined loose rock remained and could fall. To keep drivers safe, officials decided to shut down completely, about a nine-mile stretch of the interstate between Tennessee and North Carolina, so crews could rake the loose rocks down and remove them. The plan was to do it in one day.
"In the interest of public safety, we just felt like if we could just close it down this one day, close it down on Thursday, work hard and get the work done, get it open for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for the weekend," says DOT Division Maintenance Engineer Ralph Cannady.
The DOT estimates the work will cost about $50,000.
By: Rex Hodge
Follow Rex on Twitter @RexHodgeWLOS
Related Links:
Section of I-40 to Close Thursday
Rockslide Closes Lane on I-40
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