The North Carolina Department of Transportation reports that Interstate 40 near the Tennessee state line is closed in both directions because of a rockslide.
Westbound lanes are closed at the highway U.S. 276 exit. Eastbound lanes are closed at the Harmon Den exit.
The detour directs traffic westbound back to Asheville on I-40. Drivers should then take I-240 east to I-26 west into Tennessee, then I-81 south back to I-40. Eastbound traffic should follow in reverse: I-40 to I-81 to I-26 to I-40.
The slide occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Friday when an estimated two dump truck loads of rocks fell into the westbound lanes. Later in the evening, smaller rocks fell, bouncing over the median causing the closure of eastbound lanes.
“There’s no way to safely open I-40 tonight,” Division 14 Maintenance Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “A series of wheel-barrow sized rocks have come down. While our crew was clearing those out of the way, other rocks started coming down, too.”
Saturday morning geotechnical experts will assess the stability of the slope and the condition of the interstate highway.
Visit DriveNC.gov for real-time traffic information.