HAYWOOD COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) — North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Saturday that part of Interstate 40 in the mountains will remain closed for a week following a mudslide.

The slide happened Friday evening at mile marker 7.5 near the Tennessee state line.

UPDATE: Rockslide will keep I-40 in NC mountains closed until Saturday, officials say

“For everybody’s safety — drivers, workers, contractors — we need to keep the road closed for about a week,” Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch said. “At that point, we anticipate having enough material down the mountain that we can restore one lane of traffic in each direction.”

Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction, on the eastbound side of a concrete median, for six to eight weeks, according to the release.

NC DOT said geotechnical experts surveyed the mountainside Saturday morning to find that debris was still falling.

The engineers determined that work will be required to stabilize the 500-foot wide area near Hurricane Creek.

UPDATE: Rockslide will keep I-40 in NC mountains closed until Saturday, officials say

According to a release, NC DOT awarded an emergency contract to Harrison Construction as part of another contract to improve I-40 later on this spring.

“Preliminary plans include removing approximately 27,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and other debris, followed by the installation of preventative measures such as a netting or catchment fence. GeoTechnical experts will help develop the detailed plans,” NCDOT said in a release.

Drivers will need to plan for extra travel time.

NCDOT said the detour that utilizes a combination of I-40, I-240, I-26, and I-81 through Asheville and Johnson City is about 50 miles longer than driving through the Pigeon River Gorge.

UPDATE: Rockslide will keep I-40 in NC mountains closed until Saturday, officials say