The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced plans to partially reopen Interstate 40 on New Year’s Day after the remnants of Hurricane Helene crumbled sections of the road.
The section of I-40 that is scheduled to reopen on Jan. 1 is through a 9-mile stretch of the Pigeon River Gorge in Tennessee and North Carolina. The stabilization project will allow vehicles to travel at 40 mph on one lane in both directions.
The interstate was washed away in September when storms caused by Hurricane Helene rolled through western North Carolina, killing over 100 people and decimating the region. Catastrophic flooding and mudslides destroyed communities.
“We are optimistic that our contract partners can complete the work, establish one narrow lane in each direction and create a safe work zone for the long-term restoration,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said in an announcement. “We are working to open I-40 when it is safe, and it will be tight conditions for everybody. But if everybody is patient, everybody can get through.”