Second Rock Slide Closes Tenn. State Highway

A Tennessee state highway that is close to the site of a recent big rock slide near the North Carolina border will be closed for at least three weeks due to another rock slide, state officials said.

The area closed is U.S. 64 east of Chattanooga, Tenn., outside of Ducktown, Tenn., just west of the North Carolina state line.

A slide on I-40 between the Tennessee state line and Asheville, N.C., late last month closed that critical freight artery between that city and Knoxville, Tenn.

After that incident, I-40 travelers going east or west between the two states had to detour in one of two directions: South to cross the state line using U.S. 64 or north from Asheville on Interstate 26 to the junction of Interstate 81 and then south to get back to I-40.

I-26 route is the only route open now.

Oaks said engineers and geologists are trying to determine if recent rains, as well as recent seismic activity in the area, caused the rash of slides.