JONATHAN CREEK, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — An additional chunk of asphalt fell away from Interstate 40 in near the Tennessee line this week, delaying the reopening of the interstate following Hurricane Helene.
N.C. Department of Transportation says its crews and contractors initially focused on reopening the interstate the first week of January following severe damage from late-September storm. The new damage at the Pigeon River Gorge will keep it closed until engineers deem the area safe for drivers to be in a narrow, two-lane pattern in the corridor.
“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 travelling public.”
NCDOT officials say wet weather and freeze-thaw conditions contributed to this latest slide on I-40. Geotechnical engineers were onsite Thursday to determine a solution to stabilize the new location. “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.”
Drivers are reminded about the designated detours in place to drive to and from Tennessee as safely and efficiently as possible.
Since the devastation Helene caused in late September, NCDOT, its contractors and partners have reopened more than 1,200 roads that were closed due to the storm.
