The Tennessee Department of Transportation will reopen an 11-mile stretch of U.S. 129/SR115 in Blount County known as “The Dragon” on Monday, April 12 at 8:00 a.m. The stretch of U.S. 129 from the Tabcat Bridge to the North Carolina state line will be open to traffic each day between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The section of U.S. 129 from just past the Foothills Parkway to the Tabcat Bridge will remain closed as crews work to remove a rockslide that closed the roadway in March.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will provide traffic enforcement and Graham County, North Carolina will provide emergency response along the open section of U.S. 129 during daylight hours. Motorists are advised that emergency response will be limited in the area. Law enforcement will have zero tolerance for traffic law violations and will diligently enforce the area. U.S. 129 will be closed to traffic at the North Carolina state line at 8:00 p.m. each night until 8:00 a.m. the next day. The roadway will remain closed to commercial traffic and large RVs.
TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely worked closely with North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell to find a way to reopen the scenic stretch of U.S. 129 known as “The Dragon” which is popular with both motorists and motorcycle riders for its 318 turns in 11 miles.
Congressmen John Duncan of Tennessee and Heath Shuler of North Carolina as well as State Senators Doug Overbey of Tennessee and John Snow of North Carolina and State Representatives Joe McCord of Tennessee and Roger West of North Carolina also worked closely with TDOT, the NCDOT, and local businesses to find a compromise to reopen the dragon.
Meanwhile, work continues at the site of the rockslide which closed a portion of U.S. 129 on March 14. Crews with TDOT’s emergency contractor, Pacific Blasting & Demolition Ltd., continue to remove loose rocks from the slope above the roadway. They have also installed a silt fence and have built a berm to act as a barrier to protect the lake and prevent slide material from impacting the waters. The contractor plans to work seven days a week, ten hours a day to safely expedite the rockslide repairs.
The U.S. 129/SR115 rockslide project is estimated to be complete by July 31; however, TDOT is providing an incentive of $6,500 per day to complete the work early. If work is completed by July 1 the contractor will receive a full incentive of $195,000. If work is not complete by July 31 the contractor faces a disincentive of $6,500 per day until the work is complete.
TDOT has created a web page for information on the rockslide which can be found at www.tn.gov/tdot by clicking on the link “Rockslide Closures” at the top of the page. Motorists can find detour maps for all rockslides currently effecting travel in Tennessee. TDOT will also use the site to communicate updates on the project to stabilize and clear the U.S. 129 slide.
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Very glad to hear that the dragon is opening to accommodate riders/drivers. Especially for Minis on the Dragon and ZdayZ. It would have been very bad for the local businesses up there if they had to stay closed much longer. Hopefully they will have a speedy slide cleanup…