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03-25-2010, 10:32 PM
#53
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dragon closed!?!?!?!?
local knoxville news is reporting that TDOT has closed the Dragon until July due to a rock slide. keep your eyes and ears peeled as this story develops. this is horrid.
03-26-2010, 08:02 AM
#56
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OK... Let me clear things up a bit.
I've called TDOT 3 days ago and they told me over the phone that rock slide should be cleared this afternoon. If they don't clear it, I don't think it would take 3 more months.
I've called TDOT 3 days ago and they told me over the phone that rock slide should be cleared this afternoon. If they don't clear it, I don't think it would take 3 more months.
03-26-2010, 08:20 AM
#57
Mod/Organizer of DGRRX
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Well, Looks like I was misinformed by the actual person at TN DOT..
Here is what's posted on the TN DOT website..
Here is what's posted on the TN DOT website..
Originally Posted by TN DOT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Work to clear a rockslide that closed U.S.-129/SR-115 is expected to begin early April. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will let an emergency contract to clear the slide on Monday, March 29. TDOT qualified two specialty contractors, Pacific Blasting Demolition Ltd. and Phillips & Jordan, Inc., to bid on the project. Both contractors offer specialized experience in rockslide clearance and stabilization that is needed to repair the substantial and complex slide on U.S.-129/SR-115.
The emergency contract is expected to be awarded to one of the two specialty contractors on Monday, March 29 with work expected to begin no later than April 5. This will allow contractors time to transport specialized equipment to the site of the slide in Blount County.
TDOT’s contract has a completion date of July 31, 2010.
Meanwhile, detours remain in place while the stretch of road known as the Dragon is closed from the slide area to the North Carolina state line. Motorists are advised to continue to monitor the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot for updates and detour details. TDOT is also on Twitter. For up to the minute traffic information in Knoxville and the Tri-Cities follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/knoxville511. For statewide travel information follow www.twitter.com/TN511.
###
For More Information Contact:
Yvette Martinez
TDOT Region 1 Community Relations Officer
865-594-0161
Yvette.Martinez@tn.gov
The emergency contract is expected to be awarded to one of the two specialty contractors on Monday, March 29 with work expected to begin no later than April 5. This will allow contractors time to transport specialized equipment to the site of the slide in Blount County.
TDOT’s contract has a completion date of July 31, 2010.
Meanwhile, detours remain in place while the stretch of road known as the Dragon is closed from the slide area to the North Carolina state line. Motorists are advised to continue to monitor the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot for updates and detour details. TDOT is also on Twitter. For up to the minute traffic information in Knoxville and the Tri-Cities follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/knoxville511. For statewide travel information follow www.twitter.com/TN511.
###
For More Information Contact:
Yvette Martinez
TDOT Region 1 Community Relations Officer
865-594-0161
Yvette.Martinez@tn.gov
03-26-2010, 09:48 AM
#58
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sad for blount and monroe
03-26-2010, 12:55 PM
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i went up to the resort last weekend and again a few days ago on my bike and there's no way it'll be open any time soon unless some serious legislative action happens fast. they have the entire road at the TN/NC state line barricaded off. they actually built a guardrail across the road making it physically impossible to pass, so the entire dragon and then some is closed. where i'm talking about is down near the store at deals gap... that's as far as you're going to go.
clearing the road is the absolute least of the problems... they already have a lot of the road clear from the initial slide. they had one lane open 3-4 hours after it happened. now they have to stabilize the hillside and bring down even more rock that will eventually fall if they don't take care of it now. They can't blast any of it because of its proximity to the dams in the area.
two contractors bid the job yesterday, and one likely walked out with the contract to start work at the very latest April 5th i think.
this morning a bunch of businesses up there had a meeting with TN and NC legislators to see what they could work out as far as opening the dragon back up all the way to the rockslide.
basically, it's all political. NC offered to extend ambulance services into the TN portion of the dragon no problem, but TN didn't accept the offer and just closed it off completely.
for the most up to date info, visit killboy.com and read his blog, the easttnriders.com forum under the dragon/cherohala skyway section, or add deals gap motorcycle resort on facebook.
i will likely head back up tomorrow and see whats up. this time i'll try to visit the rockslide side.
clearing the road is the absolute least of the problems... they already have a lot of the road clear from the initial slide. they had one lane open 3-4 hours after it happened. now they have to stabilize the hillside and bring down even more rock that will eventually fall if they don't take care of it now. They can't blast any of it because of its proximity to the dams in the area.
two contractors bid the job yesterday, and one likely walked out with the contract to start work at the very latest April 5th i think.
this morning a bunch of businesses up there had a meeting with TN and NC legislators to see what they could work out as far as opening the dragon back up all the way to the rockslide.
basically, it's all political. NC offered to extend ambulance services into the TN portion of the dragon no problem, but TN didn't accept the offer and just closed it off completely.
for the most up to date info, visit killboy.com and read his blog, the easttnriders.com forum under the dragon/cherohala skyway section, or add deals gap motorcycle resort on facebook.
i will likely head back up tomorrow and see whats up. this time i'll try to visit the rockslide side.
Last edited by Big Money Pit; 03-26-2010 at 01:03 PM.
03-26-2010, 07:10 PM
#62
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as of this afternoon, TN and NC have reached a positive agreement regarding ambulance service on the dragon (should it reopen.) There are very few legal issues involved with NC crews in graham county crossing the state line to pick up injured persons.
there are, however, a lot of issues regarding law enforcement of the area by NC cops/troopers. there's a lot of red tape when it comes to state officers patrolling in a state that is not their own. even though DGRR is held mainly in NC, 95% of the actual "dragon" is in TN so this creates a problem.
NC officials really seem to be pushing for a reopening all the way up to the rockslide soon, but TN seems hesitant still, and they're the ones who make the final call.
there are, however, a lot of issues regarding law enforcement of the area by NC cops/troopers. there's a lot of red tape when it comes to state officers patrolling in a state that is not their own. even though DGRR is held mainly in NC, 95% of the actual "dragon" is in TN so this creates a problem.
NC officials really seem to be pushing for a reopening all the way up to the rockslide soon, but TN seems hesitant still, and they're the ones who make the final call.
03-28-2010, 10:57 PM
#63
Mod/Organizer of DGRRX
Thread Starter
Interesting..
When I talked to TN DOT, they told me friday they will open the roads.. but the site is now saying they will start working on the site tomorrow.. We will see.. I think they will have at least one lane open for traffic by the time we head up there..
Anyhow, List has been updated..
As of now, 259 have registered.. This is by far the largest DGRR so far..
Also, Mazda USA have provide me with some gifts to give away. This is the first and next year, I'm hoping to be fully supported by Mazda USA.
I'll be giving away some RX8 decast cars, RX8 pins, RX8 key chains, the RX8 book.. So please more RX8s
When I talked to TN DOT, they told me friday they will open the roads.. but the site is now saying they will start working on the site tomorrow.. We will see.. I think they will have at least one lane open for traffic by the time we head up there..
Anyhow, List has been updated..
As of now, 259 have registered.. This is by far the largest DGRR so far..
Also, Mazda USA have provide me with some gifts to give away. This is the first and next year, I'm hoping to be fully supported by Mazda USA.
I'll be giving away some RX8 decast cars, RX8 pins, RX8 key chains, the RX8 book.. So please more RX8s
03-28-2010, 11:08 PM
#65
Mod/Organizer of DGRRX
Thread Starter
Looks to me the rock slide is NE of the top of the dragon (pass the water front). Most of us turn around at the water front so I think one lane should be fine.
Anyhow, This is going to be pretty awesome!
Anyhow, This is going to be pretty awesome!
03-29-2010, 12:00 PM
#67
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as promised, i went up there saturday and had a look around.
the road is closed back at the entrance to foothills pkwy, which is a ways off from the overlook.
the actual rock that slid down the face has been cleared from the road for some time, but the contractors are going to bring a lot more down during the next few weeks, which is why they're still asking for both lanes to be closed.
the most optimistic resolution at this point seems to be TN opening the dragon back to the rockslide and still keeping both lanes closed... that way people can still run the dragon, just from one side.
it's all in the hands of tennessee politicians now. NC has done their part and gone above and beyond to try to get the road reopened.
the road is closed back at the entrance to foothills pkwy, which is a ways off from the overlook.
the actual rock that slid down the face has been cleared from the road for some time, but the contractors are going to bring a lot more down during the next few weeks, which is why they're still asking for both lanes to be closed.
the most optimistic resolution at this point seems to be TN opening the dragon back to the rockslide and still keeping both lanes closed... that way people can still run the dragon, just from one side.
it's all in the hands of tennessee politicians now. NC has done their part and gone above and beyond to try to get the road reopened.
04-05-2010, 03:44 PM
#70
Photos of where the slide happened:
http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/sys...nd%20Level.pdf
Where 129 is closed, and detours:
http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/sys...9-10%25232.pdf
Hopefully they'll work something out to reopen at least part of the road.
http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/sys...nd%20Level.pdf
Where 129 is closed, and detours:
http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/sys...9-10%25232.pdf
Hopefully they'll work something out to reopen at least part of the road.
04-05-2010, 07:52 PM
#71
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Good news:
TN and NC have worked out an agreement and both sides have (officially) signed off on it. The Dragon will be opened back up from the NC side ONLY... you will still have to turn around near the lake. Supposedly, and I've heard this from all sources, this should happen this week. This means that you can run the dragon without tourist and semi traffic and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
More people wrote letters/emails about this than normally vote in local elections around here, so this issue definitely had local politicians in a jam. I'm as surprised as anyone that it turned out this way. I'll be up there on my bike during DGRR soaking it up with everyone else in east tennessee and western north carolina... because, they will ALL be up there.
TN and NC have worked out an agreement and both sides have (officially) signed off on it. The Dragon will be opened back up from the NC side ONLY... you will still have to turn around near the lake. Supposedly, and I've heard this from all sources, this should happen this week. This means that you can run the dragon without tourist and semi traffic and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
More people wrote letters/emails about this than normally vote in local elections around here, so this issue definitely had local politicians in a jam. I'm as surprised as anyone that it turned out this way. I'll be up there on my bike during DGRR soaking it up with everyone else in east tennessee and western north carolina... because, they will ALL be up there.
04-05-2010, 11:39 PM
#72
Wow, so the rockslide wasnt even on the actual Dragon. It was before you even get there, a few miles from the gas station on the TN side...And they had to close the entire dragon for that, that is stupid.
Good to hear they opened it up, you guys will have a blast down there..But no more filling up at that gas station that was always so cheap.
Good to hear they opened it up, you guys will have a blast down there..But no more filling up at that gas station that was always so cheap.
04-06-2010, 08:06 AM
#73
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Well, really it sorta makes sense to close it from tdot's standpoint. There aren't any in-roads, and roads cost a lot of money to keep open when they lead to nowhere.
That being said, I am extremely happy that they opened it back up, even though I have to drive an extra 100 miles from Knoxville just to get there.
This will be the first time, pretty much ever, that a road has been opened up solely for recreational purposes... it has no other purpose.
That being said, I am extremely happy that they opened it back up, even though I have to drive an extra 100 miles from Knoxville just to get there.
This will be the first time, pretty much ever, that a road has been opened up solely for recreational purposes... it has no other purpose.