Awesome! Glad things look positive... at least something is being done and there's some cooperation going on
WARNING FALSE INFORMATION BEING PUT OUT BY TDOT AND BEING REPORTED ON OTHER WEB SITES. TDOT has confirmed that 1 Sept is NOT the expected reopen date for The Dragon. Their twitter page is linked directly to there electronic message system for the highway. They have to put a date on it for the system to work so they just picked that one. Brad at DGMR talked with them and they do not have a date. The contract will be awarded on Monday and that is when the Official time schedule will be set.
todays Deal Gap Update: On Friday we will welcome Sen Snow, Rep Roger West, Graham County Commissioner Steve Odum rep's from the NC Governors office, Congressmen Heath Shulers office, NCHP,NCDOT and reps from TDOT and THP to see if we can offer enough help to TN so they can feel it would be safe to reopen just the Dragon until the rockslide is cleared. Folks if we get this done we have to remember this is not a closed course track, traffic will be going both ways, construction equipment will be transported to the rockslide a lot and it will be patrolled with little tolerance. That is what TN will need to see to feel good about keeping the Dragon open with little or no access from the North while the clean up goes on. TN to this point has been very open to working with us on this so we have to work with them and stay safe.
Here a little story of interest. The barricades at both ends are being guarded by THP and here is why... Either the first or second day of the barricade being erected at the state line, 4 or 5 guys on cruiser style motorcycles from Ohio was up in the face of, and bumping chests with the TDOT worker at the state line. They told him something to the effect of "I'll just kill you and drive around, it makes no difference to me." So now there is a THP unit at each end.
geeezzzz...what a-holes. I will echo Snooter's statement in saying that we must work with TN, and accept unequivocally what ever decision they make. We are just visitors, after all.
hmmm.....just for the record that was Brads comments from Deal's Gap, I fear am not that mature and restrained :cornut:
A rider freind who work for TDOT reported: "Emergency contract to be let on March 29th. Work to begin no later than April 5th and to be completed by July 31st. "
Front page of Knox News The Dragon to remain closed for weeks Knoxville News Sentinel MARYVILLE - The popular roadway known as the Dragon will remain closed for many more weeks and perhaps until end the end of July, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. TDOT spokeswoman Yvette Martinez said today the department's goal is to reopen the section of U.S. Highway 129 in Blount County by July 31. A rockslide prompted its closure March 14. The department said today it will let an emergency contract Monday to clear debris from the two-lane road. TDOT has qualified two contractors to bid for the project: Pacific Blasting Demolition Ltd. and Phillips & Jordan, Inc. Clean-up would begin April 5. Martinez said TDOT plans at least in the short-term of keep all lanes closed during the work. The slide, just south of the highway's junction with the Foothills Parkway, occurred just as traffic by motorcyclists and thrill-seekers was about to pick up. The Dragon is an international favorite with bikers and sport car enthusiasts because it has 318 curves in an 11-mile, mountainside route. The southbound lane was reopened briefly after the slide but was closed again because of safety concerns. Geologists have examined the hillside. More details as they become available online and in Friday's News Sentinel.
Just updated on the dealsgap.com web site about today's meeting: "Friday March 26 Ok folks meeting is over, just reread my notes and here it is in a nut shell: Contract will be awarded monday afternoon. Clean up must begin by 5 april but they can start sooner. Finish date is 31 July 2010 however, huge bonus for finishing before that. TDOT has placed what they call a safe date and are not really sure it will take that long but feel that was a date they could live with. The barricade at the state line: It will stay there until we can get a few issues sorted out. Swain and Graham county commissioners stated they would have no issues crossing the state line and emergency management teams concurred there is no legal issues with that. The law enforcement is the big issue as it is not as easy to transfer jurisdiction because of liabilities and the dangerous nature of there business. Congressmen Heath Shuler feels that we can work with other avenues such as federal money to help pay for Blount county or TVA to work the gap if THP feel they can not accommodate. For what I heard in this meeting, most of the agencies will not have a issue moving the barricade back it is THP that will be the hold up. Congressmen Heath Shuler, Sen John Snow and Rep Roger West, all from NC will be working hard to make a deal fast with TN on getting this done. No one wants this to be a free for all but wants everyone to be able to enjoy the Dragon and have a great time in the area. What can you do top help: Ok time to lay off the NC emails and calls other than your letters of thanks and encouragement as they are clearly on our team. We as well as our Congressmen need you to contact the Governors office not by email but please call as emails are not being addressed, email the other TN officials from our save the gap link. We need them to understand that they will lose more tourism dollars as almost all the places to stay are in there districts not western NC. So lets get the emails rocking and burn up the phones. The NC folks said they got a overwhelming response and have heard the call. Thanks Gang, I can not tell you how proud I was to hear that, we have a wonderful community. " Save the Gap, Help us save the Dragon. Rock slide US129.
Mol beat me to it. I just got off the phone with Brad at Deals Gap. Bottom line, there will NO lanes open from TN to Deals Gap,until the work is completely done, so we need to plan accordingly. But.....there is a chance that TN will move the barracades from the state line back to the actual rockslide area. Thus allowing folks to run the Dragon. TN is still on the fence about this. That is why Brad is suggesting we call and email the TN contacts on his site. Again be polite and point out that we as a group travel into TN during our event for numerous day trips and do spend a portion of our travel money there.
contract has been awarded. Unfortunatly it did not go to Phillip and Jordan. Seems like thru traffic is unlikely. Lets hope they can at least move the barricades back to open up the Dragon.
Emergency Contract Awarded for U.S. 129 Rockslide Repairs | TN.gov Newsroom Emergency Contract Awarded for U.S. 129 Rockslide Repairs Incentive Provided to Complete Work by July 1, 2010 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation today awarded Pacific Blasting Demolition Ltd. an emergency contract to begin working to stabilize, remove debris and repair damage caused by a rockslide on U.S. 129/SR-115. The slide, which occurred on March 14, 2010, completely blocked U.S. 129 near the Chilhowee Dam in Blount County, Tennessee. Pacific Blasting Demolition Ltd. submitted the low bid of $1.99million. Crews with Pacific Blasting are beginning to mobilize equipment and personnel and will begin work on the complex slide removal and stabilization project no later than April 5, 2010. Phillips and Jordan, Inc. was the only other pre-qualified contractor and submitted a bid of $2.65 million. The rockslide project on U.S. 129/SR-115 is estimated to be completed by July 31, 2010. However, TDOT is providing an incentive of $6,500 per day for the contractor to complete work and reopen the roadway before July 31, 2010. If the project is totally complete by July 1, 2010 the contractor will receive the full incentive of $195,000. Failure to complete the project and reopen the roadway by July 31 will result in a disincentive of $6,500 per day until work is completed. TDOT continues to work with agencies and interested parties in Tennessee and North Carolina regarding the closure of a stretch of U.S. 129/SR-115 between the slide and the North Carolina state line known as “The Dragon.†TDOT is working to determine an amicable solution for both businesses and emergency needs and is hopeful that some arrangement can be reached whereby portions of the route can be reopened. At this time, however, detours remain in place from the slide area to the NC state line. TDOT has created a web page for information on the rock slide which can be found at Tennessee Department of Transportation by clicking on the link “Rockslide Closures†at the top of the page. Motorists can find detour maps for all rockslides currently effecting travel in Tennessee. TDOT will also use the site to communicate updates on the project to stabilize and clear the U.S. 129 slide. For up to date travel information, motorists may dial 5-1-1 from any land line or cell phone or follow TDOT on Twitter. For traffic information in Knoxville and Tri-Cities areas follow @Knoxville511. For statewide travel information follow @TN511. As always, motorists are encouraged to Know Before You Go! and check traffic conditions before leaving. When travelers encounter traffic delays on the roadway they should always practice common sense safety precautions when using any of these services and avoid texting, tweeting or operating a cell phone when driving.
MINI Thanks Mol, Hope they can come to a amicable solution to reopen the Dragon, so the newcomers can get the rush that all of us veterans have had, and I would like to get that:crazy: rush again:lol:
I'll second that.... I know I will have a great time no matter what, but I'd love to be able to say I drove on the Dragon, rather than, well, I drove NEAR the Dragon :lol: