Stretch of North Carolina interstate that collapsed during Helene to reopen by March 1

A section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding will reopen to traffic by March 1, Gov. Josh Stein announced Monday while visiting the roadway’s shuttered portion and meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The primary road connection between North Carolina and eastern Tennessee was severed in late September as flooding in the Pigeon River gorge washed away over 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of I-40’s eastbound lanes. An effort to reopen a 20-mile (32-kilometer) stretch to the Tennessee line in early January got held up when more asphalt from eastbound lanes fell in mid-December. The department attributed the December slide to wet weather and freeze-thaw conditions.

Along a portion of the displaced four-lane road, Stein announced a rescheduled date for one lane going in each direction to reopen to traffic at a reduced speed, news outlets reported.

“I am pleased to announce that we will reopen two lanes of I-40 by March 1,” Stein said in a news release that highlighted the efforts of road workers and the state Department of Transportation. “Reopening these lanes will help reconnect North Carolina and Tennessee and allow us to welcome back visitors to bolster the economy.”

Contractors have worked to stabilize what’s left of the road by driving long steel rods into bedrock below the road, filling them with grout and spraying concrete on the cliff face to hold them in place.

Hurricane Helene and its resulting destruction damaged or impacted 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads and damaged 7,000 private roads, bridges and culverts. The state is anticipated for now to receive about $3.2 billion from the Federal Highway Administration in emergency relief, according to a recent presentation for General Assembly members from state storm recovery officials.

Stein visited the area to meet with Duffy, who also toured the damaged roadway with U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Reps. Chuck Edwards and Tim Moore, all R-N.C.

In his release, Stein said he expressed to Duffy his appreciation for the U.S. Transportation Department’s efforts and “emphasized that there are billions of dollars of work still to do to get people safely back on the roads. … It is clear to me that he intends to help.”