NCDOT gives update on WNC roadways six months after Helene

Six months after Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has made significant progress in repairing roads and bridges that were damaged in the storm.

According to a press release, NCDOT has reopened 90% of the roads damaged by the hurricane. Crews have repaired or replaced 270 bridges and 870 culverts.

NCDOT gave an earlier report in January on the progress made since the storm.

One of the biggest accomplishments is the reopening of Interstate 40, which connects North Carolina and Tennessee. 

The highway reopened earlier this month to one lane in each direction. The reopening provides a critical connection to residents in both states and a better route for long-distance drivers and truckers to transport goods despite the slight delays as traffic merges into one lane.

NCDOT said that a drive through the Pigeon River Gorge shows the devastating damage, the remediation efforts of NCDOT and its partners, as well as the work that lies ahead.

“We are happy to have I-40 open and operating in a limited capacity, and we also know that tons — literally thousands of tons — of work remains to restore I-40 completely,” said NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wesley Grindstaff. “Our employees and our contractors are up to the challenge for the benefit of our residents and interstate commerce.”

Crews worked straight through the typical winter weather season in the mountains, with limited daylight and freezing temperatures. On some days, NCDOT crews worked on Helene repairs in the morning and snow and ice operations later in the same day.

“We knew right away when this storm hit that we needed to do all we could to get these roads ready for winter,” said NCDOT Division 11 Engineer Michael Poe. “Our crews did a great job in the fall, and the winter was indeed a challenge. With spring now coming, we’re really excited about the next six months and what we’ll accomplish in that timeframe.”

I-40 is one of several corridors in the region where the current conditions are temporary. 

Yancey County highways along the Toe, Cane, and Nolichucky Rivers see drivers on them daily. Like the temporary road from Bat Cave to Chimney Rock, the roadways have gone from gravel paths, then expanded to one-lane gravel roads, and now topped with pavement with lane markings and wide enough for two trucks to pass side-by-side. 

In other areas, temporary bridges or culverts, including more than 40 locations where former railcars have been repurposed as bridges, providing residents with much needed access.

“We’ve been working hard over the winter to get bridges designed and ready to construct,” Poe said. “And over the next few months, we’ll start seeing some of those get off the ground.”

Additional permanent repairs are in the works, either in the planning, design or — in some cases — already under construction. NCDOT entered into alternative delivery contracts to restore critical corridors in Yancey and Mitchell counties through Gerton, Bat Cave, and Chimney Rock and for I-40 in the gorge. 

Public meetings will continue to be held to inform residents about recovery efforts and receive their feedback, which will help guide engineers as they fine-tune plans for resilient repairs. 

“Lives were forever changed by this storm,” said NCDOT Division 13 Engineer Tim Anderson. “Local NCDOT staff, NCDOT staff from other divisions, and our contract partners have completed a great deal of emergency repairs, and we will not stop.”

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