I-40 January Opening Hits Snag

The state of North Carolina’s plan to reopen Interstate 40 to traffic in January has collapsed…literally, at least for now.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation had planned to reopen I-40 with one lane in each direction utilizing the westbound side of the interstate in early January. NCDOT officials now say that will not happen, as more of the interstate has collapsed in the gorge. Officials believe that freezing and thawing and recent wet weather is to blame for the collapse. Engineers were on site late this week to assess the situation. Engineers believe the recent collapse has led to questions as to whether it is safe to open the road to traffic. NCDOT says I-40 will remain closed until engineers can “deem the area safe for drivers to be in a narrow, two-lane pattern in the gorge.”

Parts of I-40 east were washed away or severely damaged due to the flooding of the Pigeon River in the Pigeon River Gorge September 27. The interstate has been completely closed at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line ever since, creating headaches for motorists trying to find ways to get to Western North Carolina.