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Staff Photo by Dan Henry
OCOEE, Tenn. — Workers with heavy equipment had cleared all but a few boulders from a rockslide that blocked U.S. Highway 64 this morning when, with a tremble and a roar, another huge slide spilled across the road and into the Ocoee River gorge.
Tennessee Department of Transportation officials said they aren’t sure how long the highway will be blocked, but it will be at least a week, probably longer.
Meanwhile, traffic to and from Ducktown, Tenn., and North Carolina is being detoured on to State Route 68 through Sweetwater and Tellico Plains.
The first slide occurred about 5:30 a.m. at mile marker 17, just across the highway from where commercial whitewater rafting companies begin their tours down river.
One boulder was large enough to block the entire highway, and several others covered the westbound lane of the winding two-lane highway.
Don Longworth, operations chief for the West Polk County Fire and Rescue Squad, said motorists discovered the first slide.
Rock slides are common, he said. “But it is the size and magnitude of this one that is the problem,” he said.
A crew from Cleveland-based Wright Brothers Construction worked until midday clearing the blockage. They were through when a section of mountainside crashed down on the road, pushing boulders andfull-grown pine trees off into the river gorge.
See Wednesday’s Times Free Press for complete coverage.
Randall Higgins covers news in Cleveland, Tenn., for the Times Free Press. He started work with the Chattanooga Times in 1977 and joined the staff of the Chattanooga Times Free Press when the Free Press and Times merged in 1999. Randall has covered Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Alabama. He now covers Cleveland and Bradley County and the neighboring region. Randall is a Cleveland native. He has bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Technological University. His awards ...
Sunday's editorial from a person bothered me. They said all we need to do here in McCaysville/Copperhill is JUST move to the CITY... My husband has to work in Cleveland to make us a living. He works 12 hr. shifts, and then a two hr. drive to and from Cleveland. It's hard on him since he has heart problems, and can't change jobs because of insurance. Our town here is a good one, but jobs are scarce. One reason is because we have no road for industry to come into. For that person to say we COMPLAIN, shame on you.. How would they like to have this long travel. And the money they said we could get for hardship is set so HIGH that not many people can get the help. Yeah, we could move to the city, but selling your home, and starting over would be harder. Plus, We Love Where We are, except wished we had good jobs here. Fix us a road please....
on his long weekends at work, he has started staying at a hotel. The long drive was really becoming a problem on his health and well being.Wonder if we would qualify for assistance NOW from this ROCK SLIDE ON THE OCOEE ??
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