NASHVILLE - Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely joined state and local officials in Sumner County today as a reconstructed portion of Highway 109 was opened to traffic. The $27.9 million project widened a two mile section of the roadway and also reconstructed the narrow, steep conditions along the ridge near Portland.

 

"Highway 109 has been identified as a strategic corridor connecting several communities in Middle Tennessee," said Commissioner Nicely. "The completion of this project marks major progress in TDOT's efforts to increase capacity and safety along this entire route."

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Motorists in Knox, Jefferson and Hamblen Counties should expect delays on some state routes this weekend as a large generator is slowly transported by Barnhart Crane and Rigging Company through East Tennessee.

 

The generator and transportation rigging is a minimum of 22.2 feet wide, more than 365 feet long and will take up at least two travel lanes as it moves through northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The hauling rig, trucks and generator combined weight is an estimated 640 tons.   In order to safely move the massive structure, crews will only drive between 8 to 10 miles per hour with law enforcement escorting the load.

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Crews working to remove and repair a rockslide on U.S. 129/SR-115 in Blount County continue to pump water onto a mass of unstable rock above the roadway. Workers conducted a trim blast on the area Wednesday night and are in the process of developing a drilling plan for more blasts to remove the unstable area of rock. Emergency contractor Pacific Blasting & Demolition Ltd. estimates it could take a series of at least three trim blasts to remove the fractured rock. 

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The shipment of a huge generator from Knoxville, Tennessee to St. Paul, Virginia will impact motorists traveling along U.S. and state highways for the next 15 to 20 days in both states beginning Saturday, June 19. The Tennessee Department of Transportation and Virginia Department of Transportation are working with Barnhart Crane and Rigging to alert motorists about the 170 mile route that will be used to transport a large steam power generator. 

 

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Crews working to clear and stabilize a rockslide site along U.S. 129/SR-115 in Blount County resumed drilling for a future trim blast on an area of unstable rock today. The unstable rock began to move significantly on June 2 as crews drilled in the area. The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s emergency contractor, Pacific Blasting and Demolition Ltd., used water to saturate and lubricate the unstable mass of rock located along the west end of the slope in hopes the mass would fall on its own. At this time, movement of the rock mass is not significant, so crews are using a specialized crane to drill the area from the side to avoid any potential falling rock. Workers also constructed a berm in front of the crane to protect the operator while drilling the unstable area. Once drilling is complete, workers will insert low impact explosives into the mountainside for trim blasting later this week. Multiple blasts may be needed to remove the entire unstable rock area.

 

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen today announced Safe Routes to School funding totaling $2,650,402 for fifteen municipalities in Tennessee. The funds will be used by multiple schools to improve sidewalks, crosswalks, signs and safe walking and biking educational activities. The Safe Routes to School program is a statewide initiative designed to make bicycling and walking to school a safer, more appealing and healthier alternative for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

 

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Crews on the U.S. 129/SR-115 rockslide repair and removal project in Blount Count are working to install more rock bolts and hang new sections of wire mesh despite a series of storms carrying strong winds and lightning through the area.

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Crews will spend the next few days installing and grouting rock bolts that will be used to stabilize the site of a rockslide that failed on March 14 and resulted in the closure of U.S. 129/SR-115. Emergency contractor Pacific Blasting and Demolition Ltd. spent the weekend drilling holes for the rock bolts and as of today, crews have installed 41 of the anchors. Workers should finish grouting the bolts for this section of the slide area on Wednesday. They will also be working Wednesday to hang a second section of wire mesh at the site. Drilling will continue throughout the week for installation of more rock bolts.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Water pumping operations have started at the rockslide area on U.S. 129/SR-115 in Blount County. Emergency contractor Pacific Blasting and Demolition Ltd is using water to saturate and lubricate an unstable rock mass that started shifting this week. The procedure is used to safely cause the rock mass to slip and break away from the mountainside and fall. 

 

Since the unstable rock began to move on Wednesday, it has shifted more than 4 feet down the mountainside. Several truck loads of rock have broken away from the mass and have fallen in the past 48 hours.
 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The emergency contractor working to clear a rockslide from U.S. 129/SR-115 in Blount County will use water to help bring down a mass of unstable rock above the roadway. Pacific Blasting and Demolition Ltd. will use a water pump to saturate and lubricate the slope with water in hopes the unstable rock mass will break away from the mountainside and slide to the ground without blasting the area. The unstable rock mass has moved nearly two feet since Wednesday night and could potentially fall at any point. Water pumping is scheduled to begin this weekend. Drilling for trim blasting at the site has stopped until the mass is removed, but repairs continue in other areas at the site.