NCDOT Estimates Cost To Rebuild I-40 Close To $2 Billion

The North Carolina Department of Transportation says that estimates to rebuild the eastbound side of Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge will likely be close to $2 billion. Initial estimates last year had placed the cost of repairs at $1.1 billion, but new cost estimates now have that figure nearly doubled. Crews are working on building a wall 30 feet thick and up to 70 feet high with stabilizers drilled into the bedrock, which will resemble a dam that the interstate will be built on top of.

NCDOT says that even though the estimated cost to rebuild the interstate has changed, the timeline has not. Officials expect the interstate to be reopened in full by late 2028. Portions of the eastbound side of I-40 were completely destroyed when Hurricane Helene turned the Pigeon River into a raging monster that swallowed up large sections of the roadway. I-40 is currently open with one lane in each direction from MM 446 in Tennessee to MM 7 in North Carolina. TDOT still expects I-40 to be back open to four lanes on the Tennessee side by sometime later this year.