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Western North Carolina roads are slowly reopening following the devastation from Tropical Storm Helene, however a number of main thoroughfares stay closed, together with Interstate 40.
To date, the North Carolina Division of Transportation has estimated that damages will complete as much as a number of billion {dollars}, state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins mentioned in a Monday news release. NCDOT has additionally recognized almost 7,000 websites the place roads and bridges are broken, and a big swath of WNC roads stay restricted to important journey solely.
“The harm to our roads and bridges is like nothing we’ve ever seen after any storm, and this will probably be a long-term restoration operation,” Hopkins mentioned.
Here is the newest on street closures throughout WNC, together with the I-40 reconstruction.
When will I-40 reopen?
Flooding from Tropical Storm Helene collapsed almost the whole shoulder of components of I-40, the third-longest interstate freeway within the nation.
The freeway has been closed between exit 20 in North Carolina and exit 432 in Tennessee as a result of storm harm. Nevertheless, as of Monday, the county has reopened sections of I-40 close to Previous Fort and in downtown Asheville.
NCDOT says the estimated restore time for I-40 is “currently unknown,” although it appears early 2025 is the earliest the interstate freeway will probably be absolutely reopen. On Monday, the company introduced it had signed a $10 million contract with Wright Brothers Building with incentives to stabilize I-40’s westbound lanes to open to some visitors by Jan. 4.
The interstate’s proximity to Pigeon River in Tennessee has made repairs particularly difficult, NCDOT officials told the Citizen Times. The company is at present working with Tennessee transportation officers and the Federal Freeway Administration on a long-term reconstruction plan for I-40.
Alternate routes round I-40
Interstate 81 provides a bypass to I-40. These within the northwest part of Western North Carolina, can search for a secure path to I-81 into Tennessee, which connects with Interstate 77 and offers an alternate path to different areas in North Carolina. If you happen to’re touring from Tennessee to North Carolina, you’ll be able to head north on I-81 and join into Interstate 26, which offers an alternate path to Asheville and different areas of the state.
These within the Southwest a part of the state can nonetheless journey on a part of Interstate 26, however sections of the street could also be closed. Individuals can even search out secure routes to Interstate 85 after which head northbound to the Charlotte space.
These south of Hendersonville can take U.S. 74 ALT to U.S. 74 East towards Shelby after which join with I-85 to Charlotte and different factors North and East.
U.S. 64 to U.S. 74 ALT simply north of Hendersonville is impassable at the moment as a result of landslides. The street can be impassable between U.S. 74 ALT and Slick Rock Highway, in accordance with NCDOT.
Which different highways are closed in Western North Carolina?
As of Thursday, NCDOT had reported greater than 600 street closures as a result of Helene harm, with at the very least 100 of them on on interstates, and state and federal highways.
Together with I-40, street closures are in impact on U.S. Highways 64 and 19, in addition to North Carolina Highways 215, 226 and 197. I-26 and I-40 are additionally closed alongside the North Carolina and Tennessee border, with journey between the states “extraordinarily restricted,” particularly for vehicles longer than 30 toes, in accordance with NCDOT.
Most of WNC stays restricted to important journey solely. If you happen to should journey, the company warns folks to plan for extreme visitors delays as emergency response groups are working all through the world.
Present Hurricane Helene street closure map
You may observe storm-related street closures at drivenc.gov.
There could also be closed roads not listed on DriveNC.gov as many areas usually are not in a position to report at the moment, in accordance with NCDOT.
Which roads have reopened in Western North Carolina?
Although some freeway stretches will stay shuttered for months, NCDOT has reopened at the very least 600 roads throughout WNC since Helene exited the state, the company mentioned.
As of Monday, reopened roads embrace I-26 in Henderson and Polk counties; U.S. Highways 221, 321 and 421 within the Boone space; and U.S. Highways 70 and 25 in Asheville.
Steve Howe contributed to this report.
This text initially appeared on Asheville Citizen Occasions: When will I-40 fully reopen in WNC? Latest on NCDOT road closures
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