After a five-month closure due to Hurricane Helene, a 12-mile stretch of I-40 near the Tennessee border will reopen on Saturday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After a five-month closure following Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Western North Carolina, a portion of Interstate 40 along the Tennessee-North Carolina border is set to reopen this weekend.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced that I-40 will reopen Saturday, March 1, with one lane in each direction spanning approximately 12 miles. There will be a 35 mph speed limit in place.Â
“The stretch of I-40 along the Tennessee-North Carolina line will open in a one-lane pattern,” NCDOT communication officer David Uchiyama said during an interview on WCNC+. “Folks need to know this is going to be slow going. This isn’t 55, 65, or 75 by any means.”
Helene, which struck the Carolinas in late September, caused massive landslides and severe infrastructure damage throughout Western North Carolina. The closure of I-40 through the mountains has forced travelers and freight to use significantly longer detour routes for several months.Â
Uchiyama emphasized that while the reopening marks significant progress, drivers should adjust their expectations.
“These are narrow lanes with a 9-inch by 9-inch curb separating the oncoming traffic,” he cautioned. “There is also one lane on the eastbound side that is just for emergency services. We really ask folks not to get in that lane.”
Engineers have worked extensively to ensure safety before allowing traffic to resume. Uchiyama said a lot of the construction work has been about making sure the actual rock and mountain are stable enough for traffic. NCDOT engineer Nathan Tanner told WFMY that crews drilled 10,000 square feet of soil nails, anchoring the ground to prevent future slides. In total, the emergency repairs are expected to cost up to $15 million.Â
The partial reopening will have major economic benefits for the region.Â
“We can’t stress enough how important this is to be able to move goods and services for the people who live in Haywood County and in Cobb County, Tennessee,” Uchiyama noted.
NCDOT recommends that travelers check DriveNC.gov before departing to plan their route. While standard vehicles and trucks can now use I-40, wide loads must still use alternate routes via I-77 to I-81 in Virginia.
NCDOT says it could take up to three years before I-40 is fully repaired.Â
Plans for the permanent reconstruction of the damaged sections are underway, with designs approximately “10 to 15% complete,” according to Uchiyama, who confirmed that resilience against future weather events is a key consideration in the redesign.
