U.S. 321 near Lenoir between Kirby Mountain Road and Waterfalls Road will be closed through the weekend to remove boulders loosened during blasting on Dec. 3.
Project contractor W.C. English Inc. informed N.C. Department of Transportation engineers that it may take several more days before the road is opened to traffic.
Rain in the region delayed debris removal, according to DOT officials, and engineers hope to open the road by Tuesday.
The DOT reminds motorists to follow the posted detour route instead of taking other routes. Some of the secondary roads are unpaved, one lane and are not meant for trucks, large vehicles or heavy traffic.
Traffic heading north from Lenoir toward Blowing Rock should follow N.C. 18 into Wilkes County until it intersects with U.S. 421 North. Take U.S. 421 North to Boone and turn left onto the N.C. 105 Extension. Then turn left onto U.S. 321 South to Blowing Rock.
To head south on U.S. 321 from Blowing Rock, follow the route back to Lenoir from Boone.
During the Dec. 3 blast, more rocks than anticipated came down on the highway. U.S. 321 was closed that afternoon until the morning of Dec. 4.
After inspecting the blast area on Dec. 7, engineers determined that several boulders needed to be removed from the slope to ensure its safety.
The road-building project normally assigns blasting for Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. on the lower end of the 6.6-mile widening project from Blowing Rock to Lenoir.
That schedule is expected to resume when the highway is reopened for routine traffic.
DOT officials said drivers should watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit.
Plan ahead before driving by visiting the DOT Traveler Information Management Web site at ncdot.gov/traffictravel or call 511, the state's free travel information line for current travel conditions.
Source: NCDOT
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