Crews working to remove and repair a rockslide on U.S. 129/SR-115 in Blount County continue to pump water onto a mass of unstable rock above the roadway.  
     Workers conducted a trim blast on the area last Wednesday night and are in the process of developing a drilling plan for more blasts to remove the unstable area of rock.  
     Emergency contractor Pacific Blasting & Demolition Ltd. estimates it could take a series of at least three trim blasts to remove the fractured rock.  
     The last trim blast removed approximately 2,158 tons of unstable rock.  Drilling for the next blast in the same hazardous area began on Friday.  
     On the other side of the slope, crews continued drilling and installing rock bolts throughout the weekend.  Workers also completed the installation of a second section of wire mesh last weekend.  
     The U.S. 129 rockslide project is estimated to be completed by July 31, 2010.  The contractor will earn a $195,000 incentive if the roadway is opened by July 1, 2010.  
     U.S. 129/SR-115 is closed from just past the Foothills Parkway to the Tabcat Bridge.  A short section of U.S. 129 between the Tabcat Bridge and the North Carolina state line, known as “The Dragon”, is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., however no through traffic is allowed at the rockslide site at any time.  Detours remain in place to allow motorists to get around the rockslide repair area.

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