Harmon Den is one of many exits along busy Interstate 40 in western North Carolina’s Pigeon River Gorge, but some features make it unique. Wildlife passages and fencing offer a safe crossing underneath the highway for elk, bears, deer and a great deal more wildlife in search of food, mates or shelter. Crossings like this keep animals off roads where human and animal lives are put at risk.
The habitat and the interstate that cuts through Pigeon River Gorge were demolished in late September by Hurricane Helene. The areas that will need to be repaired present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in sustainable solutions for people and wildlife.
For 10 miles, landslides and washouts dragged portions of I-40’s eastbound lanes into the Pigeon River. The NC Department of Transportation — which has collaborated on wildlife crossings in the gorge for years — planned to reopen this stretch of highway by the first week in January, but was thwarted when another damaged section of highway sloughed off just before Christmas…