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The Unofficial |
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The Unofficial |
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The project between Mars Hill and US 19 is complete. All the signs, paint striping, fencing and paving has been finished and traffic is now using the road. The contractor will have to return in the spring to place thermoplastic pavement markings once the weather warms up, but that's all that is left to do.
A-10C
As of the middle of October, 1999, over 16,300,000 cubic yards of excavation has been moved since October 1996. This is about 68% of the total amount on the project. Over 1,700,000 cubic yards of undercut excavation has been removed and disposed of also.
Over 15,500 tons of erosion control stone has been used so far, which is nearly five times the amount estimated for the project's needs. This is due in part to the rainy winters in the region, but also because the sheer size of this project was difficult to comprehend initially.
The presplitting quantity (the creation of smooth finished planes in solid rock by blasting) is now up to over 35,000 square yards. This sounds like a lot, but there are over 150,000 square yards of presplitting for the whole project, so the contractor is still a long way from completion.
Most of the work is concentrating on the area between Buckner Gap and Jarvis Road, where the largest fills and cuts are located. The deep fill south of Area #1 is being filled in, and the access/entrance ramps for the rest area are being graded. The rock buttress just north of Waste Area #1 is finished, and undercut removal is being conducted on the fill located between Area #2 and #3 (Buckner Gap).
The fill is virtually complete on the section from US 19 to Higgins Branch Road. North Main Street is now relocated over to Higgins Branch Road and in operation. Jarvis Road is being relocated parallel to the interstate to connect to Higgins Branch Road. The fill slopes are seeded and heavy stands of grass are now growing on them. The bridges over Higgins Branch Road are completed as well. Some surface drainage structures and pipes are being installed in the area around Higgins Branch Road now.
North of Buckner Gap, the grading for the Bear Branch Road realignment is beginning. Clearing and soil removal operations are starting. The Bear Branch Road bridge has had all the concrete poured and awaiting the steel bridge rails. This bridge is quite high above Laurel Creek; although not as high as the Laurel Creek Bridge, it's about 50' above the stream.
A-10D
As of the middle of October, 1999, about 4,440,000 cubic yards of excavation has been removed since 1997. This is about half the total amount for the whole project. Over 708,000 cubic yards of undercut excavation has been removed so far.
Only 1,620 tons of erosion control stone has been used on this project so far, out of a total of 10,000 tons. The erosion control experts recognized they had underestimated the amount needed on the first project, and were determined not to do so on this one.
About 3,100 square yards of presplitting has been completed on A-10D, out of a total of 23,500 square yards. With about half the excavation already accomplished, obviously a lot of the remaining material is going to be in solid rock in order to use the rest of this quantity.
The Laurel Creek Bridge is proceeding steadily. The tallest column is now nearly completed. It towers above the surrounding landscape at a height of about 175'. The other columns are beginning to be constructed, with one about 120' high and the other about 100' high. The fourth column hasn't been started yet.
North of the bridge, Wright Brothers has now cleared all the way to the TN State Line. Area #7 (the deepest cut on either project) has been brought down about 300', and some rock blasting is now being done. Area #8 is a quite dramatic cut, looking like a big wide "V" now. Areas 9 and 10 have been cleared and some earthmoving has begun in them, especially on #9. Waste Area #1 is almost completely filled with undercut material and the fill across the open end of that valley is nearly completed. It is over 100' high now. An all weather haul road is being constructed between the cuts and the two Waste Areas.
Previous Project Updates:
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