When the Safe Passage coalition started working in 2017 to make Interstate 40 a safer place for people and wildlife through the Pigeon River Gorge, nobody knew that, in a few short years, entire sections of the critical roadway would vanish in the wake of Hurricane Helene . The scale of Helene’s damage was unfathomable, with 103 people confirmed dead in North Carolina alone and some survivors still without homes or basic necessities like electricity and potable water. The region is in mourning — but the rebuilding process may offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save the lives of future travelers.
“If we want to look for silver linings, I think there is a chance that we could use this long pause in traffic on I-40 to create some win-wins for wildlife, driver safety, and flood resilience along the road,” said Ron Sutherland, chief scientist for coalition partner Wildlands Network.
The 28-mile stretch of I-40 that passes through the Pigeon River Gorge bisects a rugged landscape that falls mostly within the Pisgah National Forest, Cherokee National Forest, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and before Helene, the road handled about 26,500 vehicles every day — a formidable barrier to natural wildlife movement across the landscape. Between 2018 and 2020, researchers Liz Hillard of Wildlands Network and Steve Goodman of National Parks Conservation Association analyzed 304 collisions between vehicles and large animals like bear, deer, and elk. Nationwide, wildlife-vehicle collisions kill more than 200 people annually and cost over $10 billion, according to a 2023 report from the Federal Highway Administration.