posted November 18, 2009
) Image provided by TDOT |
Crews with contractor Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. worked on Tuesday to mobilize equipment to the site while TDOT geotechnical engineers and representatives from Blalock spent the majority of the day ascending and investigating the upper reaches of the rock slope around the perimeter of the slide area.
The inspection was conducted to identify critical areas of the rock slope where the contractor will first need to remove loose rock and unstable debris. Once the debris and rock are removed construction crews will begin trim-blasting operations to bring down the remaining rock overhangs that present an immediate hazard to workers.
Tuesday's inspection also allowed the contractors and TDOT personnel to better assess the condition of the slope and identify the areas where the 40-foot-long rock bolts will be drilled and cemented through the slide plane in order to help further stabilize the slope.
Crews continued to survey the slide area and worked to clear some vegetation from the slope on Tuesday. Removing the vegetation will improve safety for crews that will begin scaling operations on the slope in the coming days. It will also allow geotechnical engineers to get a better look at the condition of the cracks in the rock and the planes along the slope.
U.S. 64 in Polk County is closed at mile marker 17.6 due to a major rockslide near the Ocoee Dam Number 2. A portion of Little Frog Mountain slid into the roadway on Nov. 10. The project to remove the rockslide debris and repair the roadway is expected to take at least eight weeks.
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 their destination.
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