North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced the plan to reopen the lanes by that date in mid-February.
NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Two lanes on a portion of I-40 that suffered catastrophic damage when Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina are still on track to open by Saturday, March 1.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced the plan to reopen the lanes by that date in mid-February.
An official with the North Carolina Department of Transportation told WFMY News 2 that the lanes are still set to reopen by Saturday.
The specific date of the reopening is still unclear.
There will be one open eastbound lane and one open westbound lane. The speed limit of the repaired stretch of highway would be reduced to 40 mph.
The damaged portion of I-40 at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line has been closed since late September when Helene tore across the area and left devastation in its wake.
Back in December, a large chunk of asphalt fell from one of the eastbound lanes of I-40 and into Pigeon Gorge. The damage, which the North Carolina Department of Transportation attributed to “wet weather and freeze-thaw conditions,” delayed the reopening of the busy interstate.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that I-40 would reopen on Sunday, March 1. It has been changed to the correct day, Saturday, March 1.
