# Section of I-40 closed if you are going there.



## wegottago (Dec 20, 2009)

DUE TO A ROCK SLIDE, I-40 IS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS BETWEEN EXIT 20 (U.S. 276), 24 MILES WEST OF ASHEVILLE, IN NORTH CAROLINA AND EXIT 421 ( I-81 INTERCHANGE), EAST OF KNOXVILLE IN TENNESSEE
Travelers can still reach Western North Carolina.
Both directions of I-40 are closed between Exit 20, West of Asheville in North Carolina, and Exit 421 (I-81 Interchange) East of Knoxville in Tennessee due to a rock slide at mile marker 2.6 on I-40 in North Carolina. The road is not expected to reopen for several months.

Official Detour: Motorists traveling on I-40 West are advised to take Exit 53B, I-240 West. Follow I-240 West to Exit 4A, I-26 West. Follow I-26 West (a North Carolina Scenic Highway) to I-81 South. Take I-81 South and follow back to I-40, Mile Marker 421, in
Tennessee. This route is 53 miles longer than I-40.

Motorists can access Asheville via I-40 from the east and I-26 to the north and south. Exits 20 and 27 on I-40 provide access to popular destinations west of Asheville.
In Tennessee, Exits 432 through 451 are open to local traffic.


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## rcshelton (Dec 21, 2009)

There is a shorter unofficial detour which will save you 30 minutes or so over the official detour, but recommended for cars only.  Take US 25-70 off I-26 north of Asheville at Weaverville, go through Hot Springs, NC and back on I-40 at Newport, Tn.  It is mostly a two lane road with few gas stations.  Distance is about the same as the I-40 route that is closed.


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## YeongWoo (Dec 21, 2009)

*No need to go to Asheville at all*

Head up 52 out of Winston Salem and take I-77 to I-81 in Va.  I really think that's a better route than the standard I-40.  The mountains are more manageable and it doesn't seem to take any longer than going through Asheville.  That would be my first choice to Gatlinburg from the east.


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## geekette (Dec 22, 2009)

Probably a stupid question, but how long do these things take to clear up?  My brother will be coming up from Augusta, GA, on Christmas Eve.  I sent him the info, but, I'm just wondering since we don't have such things here!


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## riverdees05 (Dec 22, 2009)

Check out the Tennessee and North Carolina Department of Transportation websites.  It is going to take a long time to get cleaned up and re opened.


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## dive-in (Dec 22, 2009)

YeongWoo said:


> Head up 52 out of Winston Salem and take I-77 to I-81 in Va.  I really think that's a better route than the standard I-40.  The mountains are more manageable and it doesn't seem to take any longer than going through Asheville.  That would be my first choice to Gatlinburg from the east.



This route actually shows up as the best route on Google Maps if you get driving directions from Eastern NC to Knoxville.  It's about 18 miles further but 20 minutes shorter.  An in-laws trucking business uses this route as well.  We're taking this route on Saturday, weather permitting.  

The NC DOT web site says it will be February before it is cleaned up.  They have to remove the debris while being careful of further rockslides.  They also have to ensure it's not going to happen again soon.  It *will *happen again sometime.  It's just something you have to deal with.  Water, rocks, freezing temps, etc. cause damage to the rocks that gravity eventually works with to bring down.  There was a rock slide in late 90's and a rock slide/flooding from a series of hurricanes hitting Western NC washed I-40 into the Pigeon River a few years ago in the same area.

Here's a good video of a rock slide near Chatanooga that I believe was smaller.  As the video states, the remarkable video was of a second slide.  The geologist moved everyone to safety and it came down.


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## laurac260 (Dec 23, 2009)

rockslide or no rockslide, I'd like to find a better route from cincinnati anyway.   I do not enjoy the I-26/I-40 trip thru the mountains at all, too steep, to many blind curves, and people travel way too fast down these hills for my liking.  I know that from other parts of Ohio I-77 is their route.  We are going in July, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.  

Regarding the current rockslide, info I saw on the website was 3 months.  I think we are in month 2 now?


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## geekette (Dec 23, 2009)

laurac260 said:


> rockslide or no rockslide, I'd like to find a better route from cincinnati anyway.   I do not enjoy the I-26/I-40 trip thru the mountains at all, too steep, to many blind curves, and people travel way too fast down these hills for my liking.  I know that from other parts of Ohio I-77 is their route.  We are going in July, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
> 
> Regarding the current rockslide, info I saw on the website was 3 months.  I think we are in month 2 now?



We LOVE driving the mountains!  Avoiding interstate will add much time on to your trip but most mapping software will allow you to provide 'preferred' roads so you can remove interstate and check shortest, fastest, blah blah.


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## laurac260 (Dec 24, 2009)

geekette said:


> We LOVE driving the mountains!  Avoiding interstate will add much time on to your trip but most mapping software will allow you to provide 'preferred' roads so you can remove interstate and check shortest, fastest, blah blah.



oh I have no interest in avoiding the interstate, I just don't like flying down a hill with blind curves, with semis barreling down our back.   I've never driven that portion of I-77.  Has anyone driven it and can tell me how it compares to I-40/I-26?


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## rcshelton (Dec 24, 2009)

The I-64/I-77 route thru Ky, W. VA., VA, and NC is less strenuous driving than the I-75/I-40/I-26 route.  But probably depends on your destination on the southern end as to alternate Interstate routes.  NCDOT has frequent updates on their website(www.ncdot.org).  The last update was Dec. 23.  Photos and discussion show why this repair work takes time to complete.  Best estimate for opening I-40 is March, as stated on this site, but depends on many factors, weather being the primary one.


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## laurac260 (Dec 24, 2009)

rcshelton said:


> The I-64/I-77 route thru Ky, W. VA., VA, and NC is less strenuous driving than the I-75/I-40/I-26 route.  But probably depends on your destination on the southern end as to alternate Interstate routes.  NCDOT has frequent updates on their website(www.ncdot.org).  The last update was Dec. 23.  Photos and discussion show why this repair work takes time to complete.  Best estimate for opening I-40 is March, as stated on this site, but depends on many factors, weather being the primary one.




Thanks for the reply.  I suppose I should have mentioned that are route is Cincinnati to Hilton Head.


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## rcshelton (Dec 24, 2009)

laurac260 said:


> Thanks for the reply.  I suppose I should have mentioned that are route is Cincinnati to Hilton Head.



The I77 route would add about 1 hour and 75 miles or so to your one way trip, according to mapquest


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## dioxide45 (Dec 28, 2009)

I recently did a AAA TripTik for a coworker who was traveling to Asheville. The new route was not much further than taking I40. The slide happened several months ago while her daughter was traveling back. The initial detour that people were told to take added well over an hour to the trip. Check out a AAA TripTik if you are traveling through the area as they tend to have very good directions around these types of things.

It appears that it will be quite a while before it is opened again. The ground is very unstable and clearing it is a danger to the workers trying to clear it. I think they may end up having to reroute the interstate.


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## laurac260 (Dec 29, 2009)

rcshelton said:


> The I77 route would add about 1 hour and 75 miles or so to your one way trip, according to mapquest



One hour plus 75 miles?  Thanks for checking this out, mapquest gives me fits sometimes.


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