ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- An engineer involved in the construction of Interstate 40 through a portion of western North Carolina said more than 40 years ago that workers could barely complete the project because of rock slides.

The Asheville Citizen Times reported Sunday that the engineer said in 1968 that workers could barely finish blasting and leveling some sections before there would be another slide.

A report on the section of I-40 dedicated in 1968 also quoted engineers from both Tennessee and North Carolina as saying slides would probably be a major problem for many years.

A rock slide on I-40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line one week ago will keep the interstate closed for at least four months. Contractors worked through the rain on Saturday, hammering boulders at the base of the slide.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com

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