NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A rock slide forced the closure of eastbound lanes on I-24 Saturday night.

No one was hurt in the incident which occurred at mile marker 42, just north of Briley Parkway.

According to TDOT the scope of the necessary repairs will not be known until material can be cleared from the site of the slide.

Traffic on I-24 eastbound is currently being diverted onto Old Hickory Boulevard at Exit 40 to I-65 or Briley Parkway.

Due to the unstable conditions around the area, the work will likely be slow going and the department advises drivers to plan for the closure to be in place at least a week.

Cheatham County schools will open two hours late on Tuesday to give people extra time to get to school. due to potentially heavy traffic around Ashland City.

Commuters coming from Clarksville are taking a detour on Ashland City Highway to get around the rock slide.  Ashland City police tell News 2 they have a plan to keep traffic moving between 6 – 8:30 a.m.

They plan to turn off traffic lights along Hwy 12 and post officers along the route to avoid stop-and-go delays.

About Slides and Rockfalls in Tennessee

· Because of the geological and soil conditions, as well as general terrain, slides and rockfalls are common in Middle and East Tennessee.

· Common triggers for slides and rockfalls are extended periods of wet weather and/or the freezing and thawing of water, and they typically occur in winter and early spring.

· Potential slides and rockfalls are nearly impossible to predict with any accuracy.

· TDOT budgets $3 million annually to address rockfall and slide issues, and often seeks federal disaster assistance to assist in covering the cost of major slides or rockfalls.