The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) says that the reopening of a stretch of interstate damaged by Hurricane Helene has been delayed after a part of the roadway collapsed last week.
I-40 at the North Carolina/Tennessee line was scheduled for reopening in January 2025 after the roadway sustained severe damage during Hurricane Helene in late September, but NCDOT has reported a major setback .
Officials said on Friday that “an additional chunk of asphalt fell away from an eastbound lane of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge this week, delaying the reopening of the interstate.”
The cause of the new roadway collapse was blamed on “wet weather and freeze-thaw conditions.”
It’s now unclear when I-40 could re-open, but NCDOT is working with engineers and contractors on a fix for the new damage.
“It is an unfortunate situation,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said. “It’s a new hurdle that we have to overcome in order to provide a safe facility for the traveling public.”
“We would like to open the corridor as soon as it is safe to do so,” Payne said. “We know it is a critical route for folks who live here, visit here and travel through here.”