I-40 repairs along Tennessee/North Carolina border on track for New Year's Day

As post-Helene recovery efforts continue, state Department of Transportation workers remain busy reconstructing Interstate 40 along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. That roughly 9-mile stretch of highway could reopen as soon as next month.

After Helene’s deluge of rain, the Pigeon River was flowing through the gorge at heights of 35 to 40 feet. The force of the water soon began eating away at the road-fill section of I-40, taking out the majority of eastbound lanes as well as some westbound. 

NCDOT engineer Wanda Payne says trucking in asphalt and cement is a challenge due to the area’s remoteness. Extreme weather in the gorge is another concern. She says when this initial construction phase is finished, the roadway will look different.

"So, there will be two lanes open," says Payne. "We'll have narrower lanes. They will be 11-foot lanes — a wider shoulder on the river side, and then a 2- or 4-foot shoulder on the left, on the mountain side. And we're going to reduce the speed limit to 40 miles an hour."

Payne adds that these are all temporary fixes. Looking ahead, planned changes to this stretch of I-40 will address increased truck traffic, vehicle sizes, and natural disasters.