By Jessica Webb
Smoky Mountain Times
Bryson City – Repair work now underway on U.S. 74 – between the Hyatt Creek exit and Bryson City – could be compared to making lasagna or a layer cake.
Drivers can see that contractors have dug down into the earth, along a large section of the westbound road several feet. Currently, a retaining wall is going up to protect workers while they conduct the repair.
The repair will include a series of drainage pipes and then layers of staylite rock and fiber. The rock, is about half the weight of regular gravel and more porous, which should work to benefit the goal of reducing the weight on that section of earth.
“The repair is called a raft. It’s the first time we’ve used it in our area,” explained Chris Lee with the N.C. Department of Transportation, Division 14. “It’s a slow-moving type of slide and this design is to slow that movement down at the surface, so we don’t have that constant pavement break.”
The area has long been a thorn in the Department of Transportation’s side, due to a spring or drainage issue under the road. For years, drivers were warned with a sign of a bump ahead.
The section of road was constantly cracking on the surface, causing the Department of Transportation to repave it often, which, Lee said, added more weight and worsened the sliding issue.
Heavy rains in 2018 and 2019 worsened the problem. While the Department of Transportation made repairs last summer, more heavy rain made the slide worse and cause for extensive work. Geotechnical engineers investigated and found the repairs needed are more extensive and will involve digging the road out.
The Department of Transportation went ahead and shifted traffic into the eastbound lane in late 2019, with one lane for traffic on both sides.
Although the agency is confident this is the right repair for the job, it will be time-consuming. The work is scheduled to continue for several months under the $4.9 million contract. The department anticipates the project to be completed in December.
The Department of Transportation is facing some economical challenges since its revenue depends on gas taxes, and fewer people are on the roads due to social distancing measures in place over the COVID-19 public health crisis.
However, Lee said the division was fortunate enough to get the authority to move ahead, and they are not anticipating any delays on the projects.