Work is expected to begin next week on temporary repairs to the section of Intertstate 40 at the Tennessee-North Carolina border damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a news conference Monday the state expects to receive federal funding to repair the 3-mile-long stretch in I-40 washed out by flooding from Helene’s rains.
The interstate is closed for 43 miles in both directions between Exit 432 (US 25W/US 70/US 411) in Tennessee and Exit 20 (US 276) in North Carolina.
Raleigh TV station WRAL quotes Lee as having said, “This particular stretch of highway is incredibly important not only for Tennessee for the people that come – that drive in and out of Tennessee – but it’s important for North Carolina because the repairs that have to be made on the North Carolina side of I-40 will have to be delivered through Tennessee.”
According to Lee, temporary repairs will “turn this interstate at least into a two-way traffic road temporarily until permanent fixes are made.”
I-26, also damaged by Hurricane Helene, remains closed on both sides of the Tennessee-North Carolina border. It’s expected to remain closed through the end of this month.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has issued this guidance for truckers:
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