MADISON CO., NC (WSPA) – A road in Madison County will be closed for the foreseeable future after a landslide Sunday, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The DOT said the landslide happened due to heavy rain and caused a 150-foot section of Walnut Creek Road to slide down a hill.
The landslide is around six miles north of US-25/US-70.
“This is a significant slide that unfortunately will disrupt the daily lives of residents here,” said NCDOT maintenance engineer Gabe Johnson. “The recent rains certainly played a big role in causing this slide.”
According to the NCDOT, around 850 vehicles – mostly local residents traveling to and from Marshall – used the road per day.
A 35-mile-long detour has been put into place:
Drivers starting south side of the slide can follow Walnut Creek Road to Fisher Lane and then U.S. 25 South/U.S. 70 West to future I-26 West. Drivers then take Exit 3, U.S. 23-A and go north to Big Laurel Road, which leads to Walnut Creek Road. Drivers north of the slide can follow that route in reverse.
The Department of Transportation has not yet determined when the road will reopen but said project design and repairs are expected to take several months.
