A second rock slide on U.S. Highway 64 in Polk County has closed part of the road about seven miles west of the Nov. 10 rock slide that shut down the highway for months.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is examining the second, much-smaller slide and deciding how to clear it.

It apparently happened early Wednesday; a TDOT worker noticed it when reporting in at 5:30 a.m.

Geologists weren't sure if the slide could be cleared by maintenance crews or if a contract to repair and stabilize the cliff will be necessary, TDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn said.

Meanwhile, work to clear the bigger slide is progressing steadily and has not been significantly affected by the new one, she said.

"At this time, only one lane of U.S. 64 is affected in this area, so TDOT maintenance crews and contractor's workers can still negotiate the area," Ms. Flynn said.

The slides happened on the side of Little Frog Mountain in the Ocoee Gorge, which has been identified as one of the state's most rock-slide-prone areas. A list of 64 slide-prone sites across Tennessee includes 11 on U.S. 64.

The list identifies sites from mile marker 10.7 -- the site of the most-recent slide -- all the way to mile marker 17.6, the site of the Nov. 10 slide, Ms. Flynn said.

"Workers have been removing loose rock all along U.S. 64 while the road is closed, and this (mile marker 10.7) site was so bad, they didn't really want to mess with it," Ms. Flynn said.

Contractors have been careful not to trigger any other slides during their rock slide cleanup efforts.

The Nov. 10 event should be cleared by March 31 at a cost of about $3.8 million, Ms. Flynn said. The newer slide will be cleaned much sooner, she said, but no specifics on time or expense were available Wednesday.

"The governor is aware of the difficulties the rock slide has imposed on those whose travel this route," said Gov. Phil Bredesen's spokeswoman Lydia Lenker in a written statement.

"The state remains committed to working with local and federal officials to offer whatever assistance may be available to help the families whose lives have been disrupted by this rock slide." she said.