WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Department of Transportation said it’s unclear exactly when a closed portion of Interstate 40 in Western North Carolina will be open.
The section closed is from Exit 20 to the Tennessee state line. A representative with NCDOT said three long sections of the major highway were damaged by Hurricane Helene. Those three sections are throughout, from 4 to 4.5 miles.
Photos: Hurricane Helene destroys village in western North Carolina
“From the state line til about mile marker 4, 4 and a half, there are three different long sections that have essentially fallen into the river,” said David Uchiyama, Western Communications Manager with NCDOT. “I-40 is going to be indefinitely closed for the foreseeable future.”
The area of the highway runs through the area of Pigeon River Gorge.
“The water rose so high, it washed out all of the trees, all the bushes, all the dirt that helps support the roadway,” said Uchiyama.
He tells CBS 17 that they are not able to provide a potential timeline for repairs and reopening that section of I-40, along with what exactly the repairs will be or look like.