Hurricane Helene damage on interstates between North Carolina and Tennessee includes washed-out roads and bridges, landslides and major flooding, creating a long list of repair work needed for state transportation agencies as they prepare to rebuild critical roads through the Appalachian Mountains.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is preparing to make emergency repairs on Interstate 40, and emergency backup work is expected to begin within a week, according to a spokesman for the agency, David Uchiyama.
The DOT continues to assess the condition of major roads in the western part of the state damaged by the storm, reporting hundreds of road closures, mainly due to flooding, as well as landslides and landslides, power lines falls, pipe failures and fallen trees.
The interstate is impassable in several locations, and repairs will take time, Uchiyama says. From the Tennessee line, both of its eastbound lanes are completely or partially removed, and there are at least three other damaged spots in an 11-mile stretch leading to Exit 15.
Along with agency and Federal Highway Administration officials, state engineers looked at the extensive damage along I-40 in the Pigeon River Gore on Sept. 30, Uchiyama adds, and DOT staff revisit on October 1 to begin emergency shoring plans to prevent further damage.
Those operations are expected to begin within the week, he says, with staff from the agency’s Division 14 surveying the site to begin planning for those operations.
Interstate 26 is closed on the Tennessee side of the state line.
Communications and access issues hamper the highway agency’s ability to gather and disseminate information, but it estimates up to 400 road closures in western North Carolina from Oct. 1 to afternoon, says Uchiyama. Officials are working to improve that connectivity using VIPER towers, satellite phones and portable radios, and the state DOT is coordinating with cell tower providers.
The damage is bad enough that the state is still telling drivers that all roads in the region should be considered closed except in emergencies.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation reported ovt. 1 that two bridges on Interstate 26, between miles 39 and 40 in Unicoi County, were impassable due to two bridges destroyed by flood waters. According to an agency post on X, formerly Twitter, crews hauled 58 loads of debris from that area of I-26 alone.
The agency is preparing contracts for repair work as it continues to assess damage and clear debris from roads, reporting in a Sept. 29 update that it is taking such work on a case-by-case basis, prioritizing community connectivity.
“We’ve had a lot of bridges, both in our system and on premises, that have been affected here, and that’s the biggest risk area that we’re putting a lot of resources into,” said Will Reid, agency . deputy commissioner and chief engineer.
Fourteen state-owned bridges on state routes were closed from Ovt. 1 update, with five completely gone, he says, as assessment efforts continue so the agency can complete the ground work needed to prepare contracts for remedial work.
There is no set date for reopening Interstate 26, but Tennessee officials plan to award some contracts “in an alternative manner,” Reid said.
“What that means is that we’re not going to take that long to do a full set of design plans, we’re going to get the private sector involved very quickly with a limited amount of information so we can start that work as soon as we can,” he explained. and added that he has been in contact with states like Florida to learn how quickly they respond to similar storm damage. “We’re using everything at our disposal as well as some of our neighbors to be able to move as quickly as possible.”
Reid said expected completion dates should be coming soon, but warned that rebuilding washed-out bridges from scratch will take time.
