NC DOT: Up to 3 months needed to clear rock slide

ASHEVILLE — Authorities estimate they will need up to three months to clear debris from a rock slide that has closed Interstate 40 in both directions at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that three vehicles ran into the rocks within minutes of the slide, which occurred about 2 a.m. Sunday. Highway Patrol troopers say one woman suffered injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

Joel Setzer is a division engineer with the state Transportation Department and says the freeze and thaw of recent rains could have contributed to the slide.

Setzer says geologists and geo-technical experts with the transportation department did a preliminary assessment and agreed with the engineers’ estimate of up to three months to clear the area.

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