North Raleigh Today

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins announced that Interstate 40 will partially reopen on March 1, following significant damage from Hurricane Helene. The announcement was made during a visit to the closed section of the interstate in Jonathan Creek.

“I am pleased to announce that we will reopen two lanes of I-40 by March 1,” stated Governor Stein. He praised the efforts of the NCDOT and road workers for their dedication in addressing this challenge. “Reopening these lanes will help reconnect North Carolina and Tennessee and allow us to welcome back visitors to bolster the economy.”

In preparation for reopening, NCDOT and its partners are finalizing stabilization work on the westbound lanes, installing speed limit signs, adding a curb to separate travel lanes, and conducting safety inspections. One lane will be open in each direction between Exit 20 and Exit 15 for non-Hurricane Helene construction, as well as from Exit 7 to the state line extending into Tennessee. This segment is restricted to standard-sized trucks only.

Governor Stein and Secretary Hopkins met with officials including U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, U.S. Representatives Tim Moore and Chuck Edwards, and USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy at a major slope failure site within a four-mile corridor affected by Hurricane Helene.

“As I welcomed Secretary Duffy to North Carolina today...I expressed my appreciation for U.S. DOT’s partnership," said Stein, highlighting ongoing efforts required for recovery. "I look forward to working with Secretary Duffy...to ensure we have the resources we need."

The hurricane caused significant damage when it struck on September 28, leading to closures on I-40 after sections of eastbound lanes were swept away by the Pigeon River's floodwaters.

NCDOT engaged Wright Brothers Construction as prime contractor alongside GeoStabilization Inc., focusing on soil-nail wall installations across ten locations in Pigeon River Gorge over a span of 126 days.

Efforts towards permanent reconstruction are set to commence soon with Ames Construction leading as prime contractor under an October-awarded contract.

“We’re happy that we can open I-40 in a couple of weeks," commented Hopkins regarding future infrastructure plans connecting North Carolina with Tennessee.