North Carolina is still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene‘s devastation, but a key piece of infrastructure partially reopened over the weekend.
In the western part of the Tar Heel State, parts of various roadways vital for interstate travel and commerce, including Interstate-40, were washed away during flooding caused by the storm in September 2024. While the Tennessee portion of the interstate reopened in October, on Saturday, the North Carolina portion through the Pigeon River Gorge corridor reopened with one lane going in each direction.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced that the highway would be open with narrow lanes, a reduced speed limit of 35 miles per hour, and an emergency-only lane on the eastbound side of the road. Other temporary modifications will be in effect as the road continues to be rebuilt.
“We are happy to have this open for the people who depend on a connected transportation system between North Carolina and Tennessee,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said in a statement ahead of the reopening. “This opening improves the flow of people, goods and services between our two states and between locations far beyond Haywood County.”
NCDOT says that standard 18-wheelers are allowed on the reopened portion of I-40, but wide loads are not yet permitted on the roadway. Officials urge drivers with wide loads to use I-77 and I-81 to travel between Tennessee and North Carolina.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy celebrated the reopening of the vital roadway and stressed that rebuilding the areas battered by Hurricane Helene is a priority of President Donald Trump’s administration.
“There’s still a lot of work to do, but the reopening of I-40 today is a big step in the right direction,” Duffy said in a post on X.
Today, Interstate 40 reopens in North Carolina and Tennessee after a five month closure from Hurricane Helene. @POTUS made rebuilding these states a priority. @USDOT is committed to making that happen as fast and efficiently as possible.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 1, 2025
There’s still a lot of work to do, but… pic.twitter.com/6r3kW5Th6S
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While the hurricane hit more than five months ago, North Carolina lawmakers are still working to pass funding to rebuild the affected parts of their state.
Lawmakers in the North Carolina House unanimously passed $500 million in aid for rebuilding roads and homes, among other efforts. The measure still needs approval from the state Senate but comes in below the $1.07 billion Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) requested. Nevertheless, lawmakers were clear they intended to approve additional funds.