Conquering the Mountain

by John Lansford, P.E., Proj. Design Engr.; North Carolina Dept. of Transp., Raleigh, NC,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1999, Vol. 69, Issue 10, Pg. 32-37


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Interstate 26 will be the largest and most expensive highway project ever undertaken in North Carolina. When completed in 2002, I-26 will provide safe and efficient interstate passage through the Appalachian Mountain range between Johnson City, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina. The $200 million highway includes excavation of more than 35 million cu yd (26.8 million m�) of material in cuts as deep as 600 ft (183 m), more than 100,000 linear ft (30,480 m) of drainage pipe, and 200 ft (61 m) tall embankment fills. Design engineers must dispose of more than 8 million cu yd (6.1 million m�) of waste material, avoid or cross numerous trout streams, provide access to the existing road network, and build special crossings under the interstate for animal migration.

Subject Headings: Highways and roads | Pipe materials | Mountains | Highway and road design | Waste disposal | Safety | Rivers and streams

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search