Additional Blasting Scheduled on West Slope 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s emergency contractor, Charles Blalock & Sons, is working today to break-up some of the large boulders located along the river bank and on the boat ramp near TVA Ocoee 2 Dam from the rockslide that occurred on November 10, 2009. The contractor is using explosives to break up some of the large boulders on the bank, some of which were the size of large semi-trucks. Crews are also drilling 60 holes along the slope east of the rockslide site as they prepare for more blasting scheduled for later this week.

 

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation continues to work to clear a major slide on US64 in Polk County. Today, workers with emergency contractor Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. continued working by hand to clear loose debris along the western slope. They also drilled large boulders between the roadway and the river’s edge to prepare for a series of blasts scheduled for the weekend.  Rock bolting operations on the western face of the slope are scheduled to resume next week.

 

Knoxville, Tenn. – Beginning Monday, March 1, 2010 workers with Southern Constructors, Inc. will close the State Route 92 Bridge over the French Broad River in Dandridge for repairs. The scheduled closure is part of the TDOT bridge repair project that began in November 2009.

 

The $1,483,607 project consist of repairs to steel structural stringers, removal of the existing asphalt riding surface, performing full and partial depth concrete deck repairs, spot painting of structural steel and applying a new bridge deck sealant.

Knoxville – Workers with Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. will begin clearing debris from the rockslide on US441 (The Spur) tonight, February 11, 2010. Crews will bring down any lose material from the mountainside before hauling away the debris.

 

On Friday morning, crews will begin bolting the rock into the mountainside using 20 foot rods to stabilize the slope.

NASHVILLE – Motorists traveling in the Nashville area this weekend should be on alert for lane closures associated with two separate road construction projects. The projects will impact travel on Interstate 440 and Interstate 40 on the west side of Nashville. The lane closures are as follows:

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Crews with Blalock & Sons continued cleanup today along the roadbed to remove material from yesterday’s blast and began the reconstruction of the 275 ton crane pad further to the east in preparation for drilling and blasting the eastern shelf on Friday and Saturday. The contractor also continues scaling operations on the western side of the slope using the mini ram-hoe to prep for rock bolting operations. The contractor plans to continue scaling, drilling & blasting operations on the eastern side until the slope is determined to be stable enough to install the 40’ deep rock bolts. This drilling, blasting and scaling schedule will be done in unison with the rock bolting operations that will be occurring on the western side of the slope.

 

 

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen today signed an Emergency Proclamation declaring a state of emergency in Polk County due to a second rockslide on U.S. Highway 64. The proclamation is the first step in a process to receive federal emergency relief funds to pay for the clean-up of the second rockslide. On January 19, rock and debris slid onto US 64 at mile marker 10.9 near Maddens Branch in Polk County. The roadway was already closed due to another rockslide that happened November 10, 2009 at mile marker 17.6 at TVA Ocoee Dam No. 2. Emergency relief funds have already been approved for work at the first rockslide.

 

“Highway 64 is a major route for people living in eastern Polk County and the closure of this roadway has created a tremendous hardship on these communities,” said Bredesen. “These funds should help expedite removal of the second slide and I have again emphasized to TDOT the need to reopen the roadway as quickly as possible, without jeopardizing safety.”

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Construction crews with Charles Blalock & Sons continue to work to clear a rockslide that closed US64 in Polk County. Crews today drilled the side of the slope in preparation for a pre-split blast that will bring down the remaining outcrop of unstable rock positioned above the roadway surface. Crews are also working to extend the 275 ton crane pad east in order to gain better access to the eastern face of the slope above the TVA dam.  Workers are scheduled to continue drilling, scaling and blasting work as weather permits.

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation today awarded an emergency contract to Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. for the clean-up and repair of the US441 (The Spur) rockslide in Sevier County. Blalock was awarded a $713,909 contract to clear the rockslide and safely open the southbound lanes by March 12, 2010.

 

Knoxville, Tenn. – Fifty Hancock County residents have their hard hats and safety vests in hand and are ready to start their new jobs with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.  The employees are part of a plan outlined by Governor Phil Bredesen on December 16, 2009 to use federal Recovery Act funds to reduce unemployment in Hancock County. On Monday, February 1, 45 new hires began their employee and safety training with TDOT and on Tuesday the department hired five more Hancock County residents. 

 

“TDOT has worked quickly to hire, train and place these Hancock County citizens on the job as highway maintenance workers,” said Bredesen. “These new jobs, along with others outlined in the plan to reduce unemployment in Hancock County, should help ease some of the strain caused by the economic downturn.”