The highway was heavily damaged during Hurricane Helene.
NORTH CAROLINA, USA — A new obstacle has further delayed the reopening of I-40 West near the Tennessee border, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The highway was heavily damaged during Hurricane Helene. It was originally expected to reopen with one lane in each direction by New Year’s Day.
But this week, an additional chunk of asphalt fell from the eastbound lane of I-40 and into the Pigeon River Gorge. This damage has pushed the reopening date to an unknown time.
The NCDOT attributes “wet weather and freeze-thaw conditions” to causing the latest slide.
Engineers were on site on Thursday, Dec. 19 to find a way to stabilize the new damage.
“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 traveling public.”
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