Polk County US-64 Rockslide Update For December 21
Monday, December 21, 2009 | 08:59am
Contractor Hauling Debris and Preparing for Trim Blasting Operations
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Construction crews with Charles Blalock and Sons loaded and hauled approximately 2,200 tons of slide debris (approximately 102 dump truck loads) from the west side of the slide area on Saturday and Sunday as workers continued assembling the 12’ high, 100’ long rockfall fence on the east side roadway surface over TVA Dam No. 2. Approximately 68 loads of rock were stockpiled so that TDOT can utilize the material to improve shoulders and the roadway embankment along the US64 corridor. Workers also began hand drilling the western side of the slope as they prepared for trim blasting operations that are scheduled to take place later today and throughout the week.
Work will continue through the week with hand scaling, drilling, trim blasting, erection of the rockfall fence, and breaking up and hauling debris off of the site throughout the week. The contractor plans to take off Christmas day but will resume work on Saturday, December 26.
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 Monroe 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 Polk 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.
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