Nickajack Road Closed

Rodney Fisher, Walker County Road Superintendent said, "I mean that’s a lot of pressure when it turns loose with them big rocks its coming." Road closure signs are placed all along Nickajack Road on Lookout Mountain due to the fear of a mudslide. Fisher said, "The ground being saturated, its broke loose on up top further and there’s a lot of pressure here now in this rain."

Large trees have already been uprooted, boulders have fallen all the way down to the road and mud continues to slide down the mountain. Fisher said, "I mean I can’t predict what can happen, but I can predict if it breaks loose from up top where it broke loose now, if it slides, its heading this way. It’ll be dangerous." Residents who live across the street say that this isn’t the first time they have seen this happen. Bobby Cheatham, resident said, "Well I guess its been about a year and a half ago, it all fell in again and they came up here and redone it and fixed it up. And now its doing it again." Cheatham says this time it looks a lot different. Cheatham said, "Its worse this time than the last time. Its really gotten worse this time. It seems like its gotten wider this time."

Road crew officials can’t predict how long Nickajack Road will be closed but strongly encourage people to stay away. Fisher said, "We’ve got the road closed signs out, nobody needs to go around em because you know, I’m not an engineer, but you can stand here and see it slide, I mean it can come down in a hurry and we don’t need no citizens getting hurt." Walker County officials are looking into assistance from FEMA. Road crews say they will have to wait until the rain quits to start construction. For road conditions updates visit walkerga.us and Bebe Heiskell’s facebook page.