Wed
Jan 30 2013
07:34 am
In the news: 441/Newfound Gap Road update
By: R. Neal

NFG-Landslide-Jan-2013.jpg
Photo: National Park Service

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that the U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road repairs will cost $3 to $7 million and be completed by June, according to officials.

I'm not a civil engineer and don't know anything about road building, but this looks like a major project. How much you want to bet it won't be finished by June?

According to the article, NPS and Federal Highway officials plan to fill in the slide with rocks and rebuild over it. I thought they would need a bridge or something. And wouldn't a bridge be cheaper than hauling in 9,000 truckloads of fill? But that's why I'm not a civil engineer.

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Knoxoasis's picture

Oh come on Mr. negativity. I

Submitted by Knoxoasis on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 7:50am.

Oh come on Mr. negativity. I have no doubt that it will be completed with all the speed and efficiency that has been evidenced in the rebuilding of the Henley Street bridge.

WhitesCreek's picture

It's all about about dealing

Submitted by WhitesCreek on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 9:43am.

It's all about about dealing with the water flow and supporting the mountainside still hanging on just above the road. And anyway, the truck lobby is far more powerful than the concrete lobby.

redmondkr's picture

Where is the CCC?

Submitted by redmondkr on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 10:26am.

When you need them?

smalc's picture

I would think building a wall

Submitted by smalc on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 12:25pm.

I would think building a wall with fill behind it would be cheaper, easier, more stable, and create less of a footprint.
(and that's speaking as a civil engineer)

fletch's picture

Cherokee

Submitted by fletch on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 11:15am.

wants it done even faster. Need those Gatlinburg tour buses to fill the casino so the motive is there to complete quickly.

Factchecker's picture

But what do we know

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 11:51pm.

...NPS and Federal Highway officials plan to fill in the slide with rocks and rebuild over it. I thought they would need a bridge or something. And wouldn't a bridge be cheaper than hauling in 9,000 truckloads of fill?

I don't know about cost, but my first reaction when I saw that picture a few days ago was that I would not trust a fix attempted with fill dirt. I have trouble understanding it anywhere, but that's what developers love to do nowadays. It seems like a bridge would be not be as likely to washout again.

Factchecker's picture

But really, who's gettin' paid to think?

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2013/01/30 - 11:57pm.

I'm looking again. That's just nuts. How could fill dirt be as good as God's own original earth that was stable basically forever until we destabilized her climate? It's even worse if there's some kind of sinkhole thing going on. Jeez.

fischbobber's picture

Tellico River Road

Submitted by fischbobber on Thu, 2013/01/31 - 12:14am.
(in reply to Factchecker)

During the Blizzard of 93 the Tellico River road washed out in a similar manner just below Bald River Road. They used the fill technique to rebuild it there. I'm going up there tomorrow. Should I make it back alive I'll report as to how that section of road has held up.

smalc's picture

Not a sinkhole-no limestone

Submitted by smalc on Thu, 2013/01/31 - 11:43am.
(in reply to Factchecker)

Not a sinkhole-no limestone up there. It's just the roadway concentrating water where it should not be. If they use rockfill it would be more stable than the soil that was there, maybe. The water will pass through the rockfill without carrying away fine particles, plus a free draining material will not have its strength degraded as much by a high water table.
Of course the whole rockfill zone could slide on the underlying remaining soil (pretty likely, think I-40 @ Rockwood mountain).
A wall founded on bedrock would be a much better solution.

Factchecker's picture

Then I wish you were in

Submitted by Factchecker on Thu, 2013/01/31 - 8:48pm.
(in reply to smalc)

Then I wish you were in charge of this! Would the wall you're talking about be a retaining wall above the road or under it as the support?

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