NCDOT Hopes To Have I-40 Reopened By New Years Day

Some good news for travelers. The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday that they are expecting to have traffic flowing on Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge again by New Years’ Day. Four sections of the eastbound lanes of I-40 were washed away during the recent flood caused by Hurricane Helene.

NCDOT says they have are working to shore up the westbound lanes of the interstate. The plan is to move eastbound traffic over to the westbound side, with one lane of travel in each direction. The speed limit through the gorge would be 40 mph. According to NCDOT the lanes will be narrow, so whether commercial vehicles will be allowed to travel on I-40 was not revealed. As far as the repair for the eastbound side of the interstate, NCDOT officials say that several plans are being debated, but no decision on how the eastbound side will be repaired or replaced have been developed.