I-40 Rockslide near Maggie Valley

[greywolf]

For those who travel to the Maggie Valley via I-40 - there was a major rock slide across the highway over the weekend.

The road is expect to be closed for "months"

https://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top_st..._vid_1106.shtml

 

[HaulinAshe]

It's at Mile Marker-3, which means it's roughly three miles south of the NC/TN state border. To avoid that section you'll have to detour through Maggie Valley and come up 19/74 at Clyde or the reverse. It's going to be a painful detour or delay in any case.

 

[fjrrider]

Saw that on the news last night, what a mess!

 

[willobandb]

Folks,

Here is the official detour from Asheville to Knoxville:

Link from Asheville Citizen-Times

Note the alternative options for noncommercial traffic (not trucks) are noted as well

If you are going to Knoxville and start at least as far East as Winston Salem, this alternative using (future) I-74, I-77, and I-81 adds only 12 minutes over I-40 for the Winston to Knoxville trip according to GoogleMaps:

Link to GoogleMaps route

Of course that does not include the extra traffic from I-40 now on I-81 from Kingsport, TN to Knoxville.

Glad I've already done a trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway and another to the Johnson City area earlier this month!

Bob

 

[wheatonFJR]

wow.

 

[rushes]

Didn't that happen once before in that area?

How'd ya like to be cruisin' down that highway and come up on that at speed?

And I worry about deer... :dribble:

 

[HaulinAshe]

Worst part about that slide, is that's one of the BEST parts of I-40 for an FJR. Typically not too much LEO presence and some wicked sweepers.

Wonder if NCSHP would let me have an occasional run at it while it's "under construction"???

 

[wheatonFJR]

Worst part about that slide, is that's one of the BEST parts of I-40 for an FJR. Typically not too much LEO presence and some wicked sweepers.
Wonder if NCSHP would let me have an occasional run at it while it's "under construction"???

Yeah...but then some would complain about all the gravel in the corners...

 

[bhkfjr]

Just so happens I picked this past weekend to travel up to this very exact spot, not knowing about the road closures till trying to read the detour info. on the overhead signage. This had to be the busiest weekend for this area of the year. I hit the detour while going up 26 into Asheville and got detoured into Maggie Valley somehow. The place was mobbed out! I continued east with everyone else and figured I hit 441 and either go south into Ga. or north into the Smokies.

I got to Cherokee and 441. Traffic was stopped going south so I opted to go north thru the national park and have a nice relaxing ride. How naive of me. I was one in a parade of cars going at or below the speed limit all the way to the Pigeon Forge- Gatlinberg cutoff. Traffic was stop and go all the way from g-berg north to 40. (5-6 mi.)

To make a long painfull story short(er) I wound up north of Knoxville at I75. where I spent the night. The next morning I went 75 south to 40 east not realizing it was closed in both directions, and hit the detour again! This was a long one up and around Johnson City and back down into Asheville. How could a rockslide close a major highway in both directions and take months to clear?

The lack of alternate routes and the crush of weekend visitors made for a less than enjoyable riding experience. There was just no way around it and no way out of it. If not for the perfect weather and the beautiful scenery I would have had no fun at all!

 

[Sagebrush]

Just so happens I picked this past weekend to travel up to this very exact spot, not knowing about the road closures till trying to read the detour info. on the overhead signage. This had to be the busiest weekend for this area of the year. I hit the detour while going up 26 into Asheville and got detoured into Maggie Valley somehow. The place was mobbed out! I continued east with everyone else and figured I hit 441 and either go south into Ga. or north into the Smokies.
I got to Cherokee and 441. Traffic was stopped going south so I opted to go north thru the national park and have a nice relaxing ride. How naive of me. I was one in a parade of cars going at or below the speed limit all the way to the Pigeon Forge- Gatlinberg cutoff. Traffic was stop and go all the way from g-berg north to 40. (5-6 mi.)

To make a long painfull story short(er) I wound up north of Knoxville at I75. where I spent the night. The next morning I went 75 south to 40 east not realizing it was closed in both directions, and hit the detour again! This was a long one up and around Johnson City and back down into Asheville. How could a rockslide close a major highway in both directions and take months to clear?

The lack of alternate routes and the crush of weekend visitors made for a less than enjoyable riding experience. There was just no way around it and no way out of it. If not for the perfect weather and the beautiful scenery I would have had no fun at all!

441 sucks almost all the time and you don't have to take the interstate! Many good roads down through NC to get you south... There is the BRP, 19E, 221 etc.. I went through the Asheville area yesterday coming from Linville, NC and found that the BRP to 191 to 280 back up 276 to the BRP and then down 215 was a decent ride with good curves. I picked up 64 and went to 28 and then on to War Woman and then around lake Burton etc... Its a good way to head south.

NC 215 is a great road running north and south just west of Asheville, NC.... and there is always 129 north to the Robbinsville area or south down 28 or if your farther north there is the Foot Hills Parkway which will git you through Deals Gap to 28 and down to 441 in GA if you need a more direct run south. I like to run around Helen and Cleveland, GA if I'm not in a hurry BUT I always avoid the Maggie valley area, too much traffic.

Heading North from Alabama I took I-81 up to Knoxville and the traffic was pretty good. Going for Kentucky I stayed on I-81 through Knoxville to 61 to 63 to 33 heading North. Its a bit better than just jumping on 33 when going to the Eastern Kentucky twisties. So many good roads in them thar parts.... Eastern Kentucky is great and the roads are well maintained.

There are so many great routes through there from Johnson City, TN... its hard to choose one some times!

 

[LDRydr]

Dredging up an old post here since I'll be heading through this area next month. Any chance the work on 40 has been completed yet?

Basically, I need the fastest way from Asheville to Middlesboro, then from Middlesboro back to Bristol on 81 so I can continue east (I'm picking up states...a bunch of them). It should end up being daylight hours, maybe morning.

Suggestions welcomed!

 

[slapnpop]

Didn't that happen once before in that area? How'd ya like to be cruisin' down that highway and come up on that at speed?

And I worry about deer... :dribble:

Yes, it happened in the summer of 1997. I was working at the NC welcome area, and commuting from the TN side at the time. It created a major inconvenience for about 6 months as they moved rock and re-paved large sections of the highway.

IIRC, the last slide was a few miles closer to the boarder, if not on the TN side.

 

[LDRydr]

Looks like I-40 is due to open back up on April 27th! :yahoo: LATEST NEWS