Updated: 11/5/2009 6:15:37 AM
The detour caused by the Interstate 40 rockslide in North Carolina near the Tennessee border could bury a business that is located off I-40 in Newport.
Gary Nichols, the owner of Bella's Country Kitchen off exit 432-B in Newport, said interstate traffic has nearly stopped since the detour was enacted.
If business does not improve in 2 to 3 months, Nichols will have to close his 9 month old restaurant.
"We'll begin laying off staff tomorrow [Thursday]," Nichols said while describing what will take place during a staff meeting Thursday. "We didn't want to impact people's lives. But, as a result of this, that is what's going to happen."
Cocke County mayor Iliff McMahan, Jr. said the confusion beings at the I-40/I-81 split.
Traffic signs steer drivers toward the official detour on I-81 and away from the I-40 exits in Cocke County that remain open.
Wednesday, McMahan met with Tennessee Department of Transportation officials in Nashville. The county mayor said T-DOT has agreed to change the words on the signs.
"All commercial traffic and all tractor trailers take 81-N to I-26," McMahan said while describing what the signs should read. "However, passenger traffic can come down and access all exits in TN [off I-40]."
The Cocke County exits on I-40 lead to detours on either Highway 25-70 to Asheville or Highway 321 to Gatlinburg.
McMahan is also asking state and federal officials to help the North Carolina Department of Transportation open up two lanes at the rockslide site soon.
A town hall meeting will be held at Newport City Hall on November 10 to discuss the rockslide clean-up process. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m.
One item up for discussion is the possibility of renting billboards along the interstate to encourage drivers to use Cocke County exits.
