Rock slide occurs on closed section of I-40

Three days after the North Carolina Department of Transportation closed westbound Interstate 40 west of Asheville because of a rock slide in Tennessee, another rock slide occurred along the closed highway.

The DOT said Friday that a rock slide occurred near milepost 7, just east of the state line in Haywood County.

Westbound lanes remain closed while crews in Tennessee clear the debris from the roadway and stabilize other rocks in the area. Eastbound lanes of I-40 aren't affected by either slide.

DOT engineers were assessing the extent of the North Carolina slide, and the agency had no timetable for clearing the debris and any stabilization effort.

A detour for westbound traffic remains in place.