I-40 SLOPE REPAIRS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

摘要

The 2004 hurricane season wreaked havoc in western North Carolina from four different storm events with immense rainfall. These rains caused a massive amount of damage to the communities and transportation facilities in western North Carolina. The Pigeon River, swollen with runoff from Hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan and a flood release from the Walters Dam scoured away the toe of several embankment slopes supporting Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee border. On September 17, 2004, several landslides occurred between Mile Markers 1 and 4. Portions of eastbound I-40 fell into the river. I-40 was closed in both directions and traffic was rerouted. The NCDOT was faced with the challenge of re-opening all lanes of traffic on I-40 to the traveling public as soon as possible. Numerous units from the Design Branch and the Division Construction staff of the NCDOT had to work together within a tight schedule in order to accomplish this task.