N.C. Reopens I-40 Section Closed Since September Hurricane
Single Lanes in Each Direction Reconnect Important Freight Route; Slower-Than-Normal Speed Limits in Place
The reopened section of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge in western North Carolina. The state has instituted a 35 mph speed limit for its stretch. The limit is 40 mph on the 5-mile segment in Tennessee. (NCDOT via LinkedIn)
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A stretch of Interstate 40 that serves as a freight route between North Carolina and Tennessee has partially reopened after a monthslong shutdown caused by storm-related damage from Hurricane Helene.
The section of highway reopened March 1 after shutting down in September. A single lane is now open in each direction, separated by a narrow 9-inch curb. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has imposed a 35 mph speed limit on each lane of highway, which extends 5 miles into Tennessee. On the Tennessee side, speeds are limited to 40 mph.
While standard 18-wheelers can travel on the reopened stretch, truckers carrying wide loads are not permitted because of the narrowed lanes and reduced shoulders.
“We are happy to have this open for the people who depend on a connected transportation system between North Carolina and Tennessee,” said Wanda Pay, Division 14 engineer at NCDOT. “This opening improves the flow of people, goods and services between our two states.” Work continues toward fully reopening the stretch, so motorists are urged to remain alert as workers and vehicles remain in the area.”
It’s open!
If you somehow missed the announcement, the stretch of I-40 near the Tennessee border washed out by Helene reopened to traffic yesterday.
If you take this route, remember:
⏺️ Narrow lanes
⏺️ 35 mph speed limit
⏺️ Trucks allowed – No oversize pic.twitter.com/xZETVSdoAV — NCDOT (@NCDOT) March 2, 2025
RELATED: Trucking Industry Accelerates Hurricane Helene Relief
While the rebuilding project has been underway for months, the White House made pushing it across the finish line a priority. President Donald Trump visited North Carolina a few days after taking office and said, “I’ll be taking strong action to get North Carolina the support that you need to quickly recover and rebuild. We’re working on it very hard.”
After the visit, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said, “It’s a positive signal that President Trump made his first visit outside the capital as president to our mountains. I thanked the president for coming and asked for his support of $20 billion in additional disaster relief and for 100% reimbursement of eligible [Federal Emergency Management Agency] expenses for another six months.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited Feb. 10 and announced that USDOT and the U.S. Forest Service had collaborated to secure a permit so that NCDOT could access rock and construction materials from a nearby river on Forest Service land. This allowed NCDOT to shorten completion time and reduce costs, as the next closest sources of materials were between 20 and 50 miles away.
RELATED: With I-40 Closed, Truckers Find Mountain Roads Tricky
“President Trump directed me to build infrastructure faster, better and more affordably,” Duffy noted. “That is why, when we recently identified a path to reduce I-40’s construction costs and timeline by as much as two-thirds of the original Biden-era estimate, I immediately asked my team what we could do to help. Too often, the federal government creates obstacles that slow recovery and drive up costs. This time, we’re cutting through those burdensome barriers to get the job done, ensuring USDOT’s full support for our state partner’s success every step of the way throughout this project.”
The damage on I-40 caused by Hurricane Helene. (George Walker IV/Associated Press)
The I-40 connection closed during the storm, which washed away about 3 million cubic yards of dirt, rock and material from the affected stretch, NCDOT noted.
North Carolina attached a $59.6 billion price tag to the storm’s impact, which included $44.4 billion of direct damage, $9.4 billion of indirect or induced damage, and $5.8 billion of potential investments for strengthening and mitigation, according to a December report.
Hurricane Helene damaged roads and bridges at 6,900 sites in North Carolina. NCDOT continues making repairs and, in one case, got creative. Pending permanent fixes, the state is using old steel railcars to construct 40 temporary bridges that can be installed quickly and are sturdy enough to withstand traffic flows.
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