Road crews are monitoring areas in Blount County where two landslides occurred earlier in the week. TDOT crews have been clearing mud and debris away from areas of State Road 73. Spokesman Mark Nagi says this time of year lends itself to heightened landslide possibilities and TDOT geotechnical engineers have been evaluating the area for the past several days. “If any loose material does come off the hillside, they’ll be able to get it off the roadway as quickly as possible,” Nagi said.

Nagi said this section of parkway, heading into Townsend, is a point of concern because 8,000 vehicles travel that stretch of roadway every day. “For this specific part of State Route 73, our geotechnical engineers are going to wait until the rain stops and then they’re going to reassess that slopeside and make the determination as to whether anymore remediation efforts are necessary,” added Nagi.

TDOT wants drivers to use extreme caution in the coming days when traveling in this area. They stress the following precautions:

• Allow extra braking room
• Do not drive distracted
• Observe posted speed limits
• Be aware of the risk of falling mud, rocks or debris