Interstate shut down for ‘at least a week’ after massive mudslide
Tennessee transportation officials say that a major interstate will be closed down for days or even weeks because of a mudslide.
The mudslide happened around 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 23, north of Nashville, Tennessee, after the area had seen periods of heavy rain, according to WKRN.
Authorities say that the mudslide happened because a cliff face fell onto I-24. After the initial mudslide, rocks and mud that spilled onto the interstate continued to move, making it difficult for crews to safely assess the damage and to come up with a solution.
ICYMI: I-24 EB is closed @ OHB north of Nashville. We don’t have a firm estimate for re-opening at this time, but drivers should plan for the closure to be in place at least a week. Once a repair schedule is confirmed, we will provide updated information. https://t.co/YKpKLWAjZu pic.twitter.com/hEMSHOFOCL
— Kathryn Schulte (@SchulteTDOT) February 24, 2019
No injuries have been reported as a result of the mudslide.
The landslide forced the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to close down all eastbound lanes of I-24 at mile marker 42 for “at least a week.” They say that they will update the public when they have a clearer timeline for the interstate to reopen.
Check out this video on I-24 East as traffic moves at a crawl – drivers are still being diverted to I-65 while a huge mudslide remains on I-24E.
I’ll show you how drivers are preparing for Monday’s commute on @WKRN at 10 pic.twitter.com/dndkRJ1mlE— CB Cotton (@CB_Cotton) February 25, 2019
On Sunday, a three-mile traffic backup was reported in the area due to the road closure.
TDOT says that eastbound traffic from I-24 is currently being rerouted onto Old Hickory Boulevard at Exit 40 to I-65 or Briley Parkway.
Traffic on I24 heading out of Nashville is already a mess and we aren’t even close to commute time. TDOT is updating us at 1:30p on the landslide @NC5 pic.twitter.com/pFRfQNoDYc
— Chris Conte (@chrisconte) February 25, 2019