Editor’s note: This piece is the first of a two-part series exploring plans to rebuild I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge and the project’s implication for wildlife populations in the region.
But this “milestone to the genius of man” was more vulnerable than it first appeared, as proven by Hurricane Helene’s September 2024 onslaught. The raging Pigeon River undercut the steep slopes supporting the road, carrying away entire chunks of eastbound lanes in the worst-hit section, extending from the Tennessee–North Carolina line to NC mile marker 4.5. The road remained closed through March 1, 2025, reopening with 12 miles of single-lane travel in each direction.
Natural forces have caused plenty of closures during the road’s nearly 60 years of existence—rockslides from the sheer cliffs rising from the north side are the most common reason—but Helene was unique in the scale of the damage it caused. Rebuilding a road that would provide safety to travelers and durability in the face of future natural disasters presented the NC Department of Transportation with a monumental task…