Polk County US-64 Rockslide Update For December 1
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 | 09:03am
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Today, crews continued the scaling operation on the east side of the slide area to remove loose boulders and debris as workers on the west side of the slope constructed a crane-mounted work platform and began drilling the west slope with a track mounted hydraulic drilling machine. Drilling is scheduled to continue through tomorrow and Thursday, weather permitting, in preparation for a scheduled trim blast on Thursday afternoon. Holes will be drilled to a depth where there is a stable layer of rock, cleaned out, loaded with TNT and blasted. This will remove the unstable rock and leave a stable layer that is less likely to slide in the future.
Hand scaling, drilling, and trim blasting operations are expected to continue through Sunday as weather permits.
US-64 in Polk County continues to be closed at mile marker 17.6 due to a major rockslide near the Ocoee 2 Dam. A portion of Little Frog Mountain slid into the roadway on November 10, 2009. The project to remove the rockslide debris and repair the roadway is underway and expected to take at least eight weeks.
TDOT is providing a live look at the work underway to clear the rockslide via a time-lapse camera accessible by logging onto TDOT’s US-64 Rockslide web page (http://bit.ly/1Tlc8m).
Motorists traveling to the area from Chattanooga or Cleveland should take I-75 North to Exit 60 (SR-68, Sweetwater) and follow SR-68 South through McMinn County and into Ducktown in Polk County. Those traveling from North Carolina are advised to take US-74 to SR-68 North at Ducktown through McMinn County then onto I-75 at Sweetwater in Monroe County.
For more information on TDOT road construction projects visit the TDOT SmartWay web site at http://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway/. Travelers may also dial “511” for up to the minute travel information. TDOT is also on Twitter. For traffic information in the Chattanooga area and updates on the U.S. 64 rockslide follow Chattanooga511 on Twitter or follow TN511 for statewide updates.
Motorists are reminded to use all motorist information tools responsibly. Drivers should refrain from texting, tweeting or using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle. TDOT advises drivers to “Know before you go!” by checking traffic conditions before leaving for your destination.