A section of Interstate 40 in North Carolina that was damaged by Hurricane Helene last September is expected to be reopened March 1.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins delivered that message last week when the mentioned in thje construction site.
“I am pleased to announce that we will reopen two lanes of I-40 by March 1,” the governor said. “I am proud of NCDOT’s focus on this challenge and the roadworkers who have worked tirelessly to reopen roads and keep people safe.
“Reopening these lanes will help reconnect North Carolina and Tennessee and allow us to welcome back visitors to bolster the economy.”
NCDOT and its contract partners will spend the next few weeks completing the stabilization of the westbound lanes of the interstate, installing 40 mph speed limit signs and a 9-inch curb to separate the two travel lanes, and inspecting the area for safety.
One lane of the interstate will be open in each direction from Exit 20 to Exit 15 for non-Helene construction and again from Exit 7 to the state line and about five miles into Tennessee. This stretch will be open for standard-sized trucks, but no oversized loads, according to the NCDOT.
Damage from the storm closed I-40 on Sept. 28. Entire sections of the eastbound lanes sloughed off in the raging Pigeon River. NCDOT officials immediately began designing a plan to reopen the interstate to at least some traffic.
NCDOT hired Wright Brothers Construction as the prime contractor and GeoStabilization Inc. as the sub-contractor to establish soil-nail walls at 10 locations in the Gorge. This historic operation includes the following in a 126-day span:
- 530 cubic yards of shotcrete
- 2,088 linear feet of soil nails
- 15,200 pounds of steel in the center curb
- 4 miles of fortified shoulder to carry heavy truck traffic
- Installation of 90,000 square feet of soil-nail wall
Crews tasked with the permanent reconstruction of I-40 will soon mobilize to begin their part of the recovery in the Gorge. NCDOT awarded a contract in October in which Ames Construction is serving as the prime contractor, RK&K as the designer and HNTB as the project manager for the permanent repairs.
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