North Carolina DOT tells truckers to keep off secondary roads

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is asking the trucking community to plan routes carefully after Hurricane Helene damaged and closed many of the state’s roadways.

On October 3, NCDOT issued a travel alert to truck drivers due to “multiple reports of trucks having issues on secondary roads,” particularly in the western portion of the state.

While I-40 and I-26 remain closed in western North Carolina, some truck drivers are running into trouble as they seek alternate routes around storm damaged roads.

Officials are asking truckers to remain on interstates, U.S. or N.C. routes, unless as otherwise marked, due to dangerous driving conditions.

From NCDOT:

“There are shortages of water, food, gas, power and communications in western North Carolina. Access is limited to local and hurricane response traffic.You cannot get from North Carolina to Tennessee via I-40 or I-26. There may be closed roads not listed on DriveNC.gov as many areas are not able to report at this time.  People evacuating the Asheville area can use I-40 east or I-26 east.“

Truckers have specifically been warned away from using US 441/Newfound Gap Road by the National Park Service.

Reminder that commercial vehicles are always prohibited on US 441/Newfound Gap Road. US 441 between Gatlinburg and Cherokee is a steep two-lane winding road that presents safety concerns for all oversized commercial vehicles.

Commercial vehicles will be turned away. pic.twitter.com/Vi6ZtG5Lni

— GreatSmokyNPS (@GreatSmokyNPS) October 2, 2024

Truck drivers should also avoid US 129 (SR 115) in Blount County, Tennessee (Tail of the Dragon) because commercial vehicles over 30 feet in length are banned from using the roadway.

See the map below for detour and road closure information from NCDOT.