Landslide closes N.C. 9 in northeast Henderson County

Landslide on N.C. 9
NCDOT crews evaluate a landslide on N.C. 9. Photo courtesy of the NCDOT

Press release from the North Carolina Department of Transportation:

A short portion of N.C. 9 in the northeast corner of Henderson County is closed due to a significant landslide.

Early estimates figure that the slide broke free from the hill between 600 and 800 feet above the road between Minnehaha Drive and Old Fort Loop around 4 a.m.

The highway is closed at Shumont Road — the Henderson/Buncombe county line — on the north side and at U.S. 74A on the south side. Nearly 100 feet of the highway is covered in mud, dirt, trees and other debris.

Transportation officials are evaluating the damage to determine a course of action to remove debris, repair any road damage, and re-open the highway.

A 50-mile detour — safe for trucks and large vehicles — takes northbound drivers up U.S. 74 to Interstate 40 to Exit 64 and N.C. 9 south. Southbound drivers need to take N.C. 9 north to I-40, then Exit 53A to U.S. 74A and back up N.C. 9.

Motorists are urged to drive with caution, slow down in work zones and plan extra time into their trips for delays.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

SHARE
About Community Bulletin
Mountain Xpress posts selected news and information of local interest as a public service for our readers. To submit press releases and other community material for possible publication, email news@mountainx.com.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.