Copperhill Residents: Lives In Danger With Hwy 64 Blocked
Lives are in danger - that's the message a number of Copperhill residents and Emergency Management Officials delivered Tuesday night.
It took NewsChannel 9 Reporter Will Carr and his Photographer, Blaine Headrick, more than two hours to drive from Chattanooga to Copperhill on Tuesday night. That drive can be cut significantly if you take Highway 64 through Polk County. But Highway 64 remains blocked by a massive rock-slide that came crashing down in November.
Hundreds of residents from Copperhill and the surrounding area showed up to Tuesday night's public meeting at Copper Basin High School.
Owen Hensley says he came after his brother died from a heart attack and was not able to use Highway 64 to get to Erlanger.
"Probably wouldn't help if he did go but what if it had been someone that it could have help?" Hensley asks.
The current lack of help is also a concern shared by Fannin County's EMS Director.
"It's costing lives, it's not just an inconvenience it's a real problem if we can't fly the patient we have to go by ground," Lonnie Oliver, Fannin County's EMS Director, says.
T-Dot officials say they're working hard to alleviate the rock-slide, but are still working on hot-spots.
"We have to make sure that all the rock above is cleared before our crews start working below because we don't want anyone to get hurt," T-DOT spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn says.
But Hensley has recently seen hurt personally and says there's only one way to make sure other families don't share the pain.
"Our politicians all I can say for them just speaking for myself get out of Dodge. It's time you freeloaders and triple digit salaries get out," Hensley says.
T-DOT officials tell us they hope to have this $2.1 million dollar clean-up project completed and Highway 64 reopened by mid-January.
There will be another public meeting held on the other side of the rock-slide Thursday night at Polk County High School from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
Follow Will Carr on Twitter @ carrwill
