Tennessee Roads Closed Due to Rockslides

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has closed U.S. 64 in Polk County at mile marker 17.6, following a major rockslide near the Ocoee 2 Dam

. The area experienced a first rockslide early Tuesday morning, and a second rockslide Tuesday afternoon around 1 p.m. Eastern time.

TDOT is currently working on cleaning up the scene and securing an emergency contact to remove the larger rocks. The state's Geotechnical personnel are also analyzing the stability of the mountainside slopes in the area and the potential for further slides. TDOT says the road will remain closed until further notice.

Motorists traveling to the area from Chattanooga or Cleveland are encouraged to take Interstate 75 North to Exit 60 and follow SR-68 South through McMinn County and into Ducktown in Polk County. Those coming from North Carolina should take US-74 to SR-68 North at Ducktown through McMinn County then onto I-75 at Sweetwater in Monroe County.

Meanwhile, another rockslide on I-40 three miles past the Tennessee and North Carolina border could leave the interstate closed for at least three months, officials said. Currently, workers are blasting rock to remove the mountain slope and large boulders from the rockslide site. North Carolina's Geotechnical experts are on the site, inspecting the slope to find blasting points and see how much more material needs to be removed.

For more information on the rockslides, visit www.tdot.state.tn.us.