WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — A section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding is getting ready to reopen.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to reopen part of I-40 to two-way traffic by this Saturday.
NCDOT said it will open one lane of travel in each direction with a maximum speed limit of 35 mph.
No oversized loads will be allowed but tractor trailers can take I-40. The state does not want sightseers there and is asking them to stay away.
During a visit to western North Carolina earlier this month, Gov. Josh Stein confirmed the announcement after meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The Associated Press reported that 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.
“I am pleased to announce that we will reopen two lanes of I-40 by March 1,” Stein said. “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 AP reports.
It will take two to three years to complete repairs on I-40.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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