Hurricane Helene-damaged stretch of I-40 to fully reopen in 2029 following $2.8 billion in repairs: NCDOT

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said it will be several years before of portion of I-40 that was damaged by a 2024 hurricane will fully reopen to traffic.

In a September 2 report, NCDOT provided an update on I- 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge, which suffered catastrophic damage during Hurricane Helene in late September of 2024.

Officials said that after obtaining new geotechnical information, the current estimate to restore the five-mile stretch of I-40 to four lanes of traffic is late 2029.

Additionally, the agency estimated the total cost for repairing I-40 at approximately $2.8 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $2 billion.

NCDOT is looking for ways to accelerate the timeline for fully reopening I-40.

Crews are working to ensure that repair work makes the interstate “extremely robust” to resist any future extreme weather in the Pigeon River Gorge.

“History shows us that I-40 in the Gorge is vulnerable to flooding and failure, and not addressing the vulnerabilities now would result in the same damages at some point in the future,” said Division 14 Engineer Wesley Grindstaff, who oversees highway operations in the 10 westernmost counties. “The cost and consequence of slope failure is very high along this critical transportation corridor.”

“Our team continues to examine opportunities to expedite schedules and minimize costs within the design, construction methods, materials and sequencing without compromising the long-term resilience of the interstate,” Grindstaff said. “We are reconstructing it to withstand future extreme weather and reduce the risk of another catastrophic failure.”

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