Traffic situation after Hurricane Helene: Interstate 40 remains closed

The damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina has led to significant traffic disruptions, but some heavily trafficked roads in the western part of the state have been reopened. However, Interstate 40 west of Asheville to Tennessee remains closed. In a press conference on Tuesday, Joey Hopkins, North Carolina's Secretary of Transportation, announced several major road reopenings and emphasized that full recovery will take time. Hopkins thanked the public for their patience during the ongoing repairs and assessments of road conditions in North Carolina. As of Tuesday morning, a database indicated over 450 road closures across the state as a result of the weather event. Among these, the closure of Interstate 40 is of particular significance. This highway, which runs west of Asheville in North Carolina across the border into Tennessee, was severely impacted by the flooding of the Pigeon River. Interstate 40 is closed in both directions at the Tennessee border. According to the state's database, the closure extends to mile marker 20. Andrew Barksdale, spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, reported that several miles of the road eastward were washed out. Images of the damage are already circulating widely on social media. The closure of Interstate 40 in North Carolina extends into eastern Tennessee. Reports indicate that I-40 in Tennessee is closed eastward from the border crossing to North Carolina up to mile marker 432 and westward to mile marker 435. Mile marker 432 is approximately 20 miles inside Tennessee from the North Carolina border. The North Carolina Department of Transportation published a large-scale detour on X, leading through Interstate 81 in Tennessee and Virginia, Interstate 77 from Virginia to North Carolina, and Interstate 85 in South Carolina. Interstate 26, which runs north of Asheville into North Carolina, is fully open within the state. However, the road is closed to drivers in Tennessee. Authorities there reported five destroyed bridges, including two on Interstate 26 at mile marker 39.6. Butch Eley, Tennessee's Commissioner of Transportation, stated at a press conference that the affected bridges will need to be completely rebuilt and that contracts for rapidly implementing the construction work have already been awarded. U.S. Highway 421, which runs nearly parallel to Interstate 26 and through the heavily affected Boone, North Carolina, is open. Interstate 40 in North Carolina will remain closed indefinitely, Hopkins stated, as the damage is substantial. Initial measures to stabilize the remaining sections of the roadway have been taken in order to begin repair work as quickly as possible. Despite these efforts, local media reports suggest that the closure could last for months. Hopkins mentioned that emergency alerts are being sent via cellphone to drivers in the area of the intersection of Interstate 40 and Interstate 77, a region spanning over 100 miles. Only local or emergency traffic should pass through these points. However, it remains unclear whether freight deliveries to Asheville are considered 'emergencies' and if truck traffic coming from Interstate 77 will be regulated by state police.