A section of U.S. 176 four miles south of Saluda in Polk County will remain closed at least another week. The road was closed earlier because rocks and mud continued to slide onto the highway from a hillside.

The initial closure took place when engineers determined the hillside needed to be examined more closely after NCDOT maintenance crews twice had to clear off earlier slides. When engineers with the NCDOT Geotechnical Unit looked at the site, they decided the remaining part of the slide area, which is mostly rock, needs to be removed for the safety of motorists using the road.

A contractor has been hired and is planning to begin that work on Monday morning. The hope is that U.S. 176 will be open again by Friday, Dec. 11. However, that decision will have to wait until the rocky area is removed and the hillside is re-examined to check on its safety.

No homes are cut off, with residents north of the slide having access to Saluda and those south able to get to Tryon. A signed detour route is in place, with motorists traveling west turning right onto N.C. 108 to reach I-26 West. They can then take Exit 59 and turn left onto Ozone Drive to get back to U.S. 176. Eastbound drivers on U.S. 176 will take that detour route in reverse.

For real-time travel information, call 511, visit the Traveler Services section of NCDOT.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

-Submitted by NCDOT