GOV. PERDUE SIGNS EMERGENCY DECLARATION TO SEEK FEDERAL FUNDS TO REPAIR INTERSTATE

Governor Toured Haywood County Landslide Today

RALEIGH - Gov. Bev Perdue today signed an emergency declaration to help western North Carolina recover from the major rock slide that occurred early Sunday in Haywood County. The declaration of a State of Emergency is the first step in seeking federal funds to help clear debris and repair the road, as it enables the N.C. Department of Transportation to request funding assistance from the Federal Highway Administration.

 "Today I saw the rockslide firsthand. Not since 1997 has western North Carolina seen a slide of this magnitude -- longer than a football field and the width of a two-car garage. The cleanup process is underway and it will be a 24/7 operation. I want to reopen I-40 as quickly as possible with public safety our first goal” said Perdue. “Western North Carolina is open for business and the leaf season is spectacular. So use our alternate routes during your visit and enjoy all western North Carolina has to offer”.

 Perdue said the landslide does not affect traffic coming to the mountains from the south, north or east. Travelers to and from the west are being rerouted along interstates 26 and 81.

The rockslide occurred Sunday around 2 a.m. blocking both lanes of Interstate 40 approximately three miles from the Tennessee border. Five vehicles, including one tractor-trailer, were hit by falling debris. Two people sustained non-life threatening injuries and were treated at the local hospital. The slide is about 150 feet high and 200 to 300 feet wide; the majority of the debris is rock and large boulders, some the size of a garage or small house. Initial damage assessments from state transportation officials estimate the clean up and repair will cost $7 million to $9 million and take at least three months to complete.

State transportation officials have been working since early Sunday to assess the damage and develop plans to clear debris and repair the road.

Gov. Perdue, Transportation Secretary Gene Conti, Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll and State Transportation Engineer Jon Nance toured the rockslide site this afternoon and received a briefing from local transportation officials.