Polk County US-64 Rockslide Update For December 15 &16

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Crews with Charles Blalock & Sons and Dyno Nobel set off two separate explosive charges on Tuesday to remove a portion of the unstable rock slope on the west side of the slide area.  The contractor continued hand scaling on the main slide area to remove loose rocks and debris today while a tracked hoe-ram worked on the roadway surface to break-up the boulders into manageable sizes in order to load them onto dump trucks and haul them from the site.

 

The contractor plans to continue drilling for the remainder of the week on the western rock slope to prepare for trim blasting operations which are scheduled for next week.  The contractor will also continue breaking up the boulders on the roadway surface so that hauling operations can resume.

 

US-64 in Polk County is 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. 

 

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.

 

Motorists may also utilize a route through northern Georgia to travel around the rockslide area. From Copperhill/McCaysville at the Georgia State Line take Georgia Route 5 to U.S. Highway 76 to U.S. Highway 411 north to the Tennessee state line and on into Cleveland.

 

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) where you can also sign up to receive the weekly US-64 Rockslide newsletter.

 

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 travel information or follow TDOT on Twitter. For statewide traffic updates follow TN511 or for the Chattanooga area, including updates on the US64 rockslide, follow Chattanooga511.  

 

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.

###