Picture of NC 105 Rockslide from WataugaOnline
On Tuesday, April 9, Watauga officials were forced to close NC 105 due to a major rock slide. The road was closed from the mile markers 6.2 to 6.8 due to the ongoing road work and rock blasting.
The rock slide has made it difficult for students to get to and from the high school. The sign-in stations at the entrance of the school now have an additional “road closed” option as a tardy excuse for students affected by the closure.
“The rockslide has made it a bit more difficult to get to and from school, at least via bus,” said Gabriel Bare, a ninth grade student at Watauga.
Buses that typically go down NC 105 have had to discuss with admin the alternate routes to get students to and from school safely.
“The day it happened, my bus had to take a different route to get from the school and my house, making me get home 30 minutes later,” said Bare. “In the morning, we now have to take a much bumpier and harder route.”
Not only have students had a hard time navigating the rock slide and the road closure, teachers who live in that area are struggling with the pressures of getting to school in a timely manner.
“When I arrived [to school] on Wednesday… I was pretty stressed out because I was late," said Carmen Scoggins, a Spanish teacher at Watauga. "It didn’t affect my instruction time because I wanted to get us rolling but it did cause me some anxiety.”
Teachers and staff have also worried about the safety of student drivers at the time of closing NC 105.
“It affected my concern for my students, who I know live in the similar area as me and they were coming in late as well as younger drivers and all the stress of having to navigate a different [situation] in order to get to school, but I am very proud of how they have handled the situation,” said Scoggins.
Shortly after NC 105’s rockslide, U.S 321 was closed due to another rockslide caused by rain and high speed winds.
NC 105 was reopened to motor vehicles on Sunday April 14, but U.S. 321 remains closed.