According to an announcement from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, work crews are continuing to repair rockslide damage in a section of I-40 near the Tennessee border. The full release reads:

RALEIGH – As weather conditions improved today, construction crews returned to work on the mountainside where the I-40 rockslide occurred.

Crews continued drilling holes where 590 rock bolts will be installed to stabilize the mountainside. Holes are also needed for the bolts that secure wire safety nets that will be positioned in some areas of the slope.

In all, crews will drill about 11 miles of holes at the site. As of Jan. 28, they had drilled about 3.2 miles of holes.

Snow and subfreezing temperatures delayed work on the mountainside since Friday. The National Weather Service forecast an overnight low of 26 degrees and a chance of sleet and freezing rain early Tuesday morning. But a night shift still is planned and crews will work unless conditions become too risky on the steep, rocky terrain.

Plans are to install more bolts on Wednesday and a helicopter is scheduled to return then to ferry the bolts to the top of the mountain. Today and Tuesday, crews will be drilling holes, measuring and checking their depths and assembling bolts at the foot of the mountain so that they will be ready to install.

This section of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border has been closed in both directions since the rockslide occurred Oct. 25.

NCDOT estimates that the interstate could be fully reopened sometime in March depending on weather conditions between now and then. A decision on any partial opening of the highway will be made as work progresses.

Travelers still can reach Western North Carolina via I-40 from the east and I-26 to the north and south. Exits 20 and 27 on I-40 provide access to popular destinations west of Asheville. In Tennessee, exits 432 through 451 provide access to popular destinations in southeastern Tennessee.

The detour route is 53 miles longer and is an additional 45 minutes to an hour driving time. Motorists traveling on I-40 West should take Exit 53B (I-240 West) in Asheville and follow I-240 West to Exit 4A (I-26 West). Follow I-26 West (a North Carolina Scenic Highway) to I-81 South in Tennessee. Take I-81 South and follow it back to I-40 at mile marker 421. Eastbound motorists should use the reverse directions.

NCDOT reminds motorists to stay alert, follow instructions on the message boards on the highways, obey the posted speed limit, leave early and travel at non-peak times when possible. Plan ahead before driving by visiting the NCDOT Traveler Information Management System Web site at http://www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or calling 511, the state’s free travel information line, for current travel conditions.

NCDOT also provides alerts about traffic congestion and construction work on Twitter. To access them, go to http://www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/ . For daily rockslide updates, please visit the NCDOT Web site at http://www.ncdot.gov and click on the I-40 rockslide daily news and information section or follow work on the rockslide project on Twitter at http://twitter.com/i40_rockslide .