TDOT Hoping To Get I-26 Partially Open For Holiday Travel

Some good news for travelers. This concerns Interstate 26 in Unicoi County. TDOT continues to work on that interstate which was damaged during the September 27 flood. The interstate has been open to local traffic only but sometime in the next two or three weeks, TDOT hopes to have one lane of travel open in each direction. TDOT says their goal is to get I-26 back open with one lane in each direction in time for the holiday travel season. With I-40 closed at the NC state line and I-26 closed as well, the only option really open to commercial vehicles to get to North Carolina is I-81 north to Wytheville, Virginia to I-77 south. That adds several hours travel time to a drive from Knoxville to Asheville, NC.

Commercial vehicles are still trying to use two lane roads through the mountains to get access to North Carolina. Authorities are turning commercial vehicles away that try to use US 441 , Newfound Gap Road, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Commercial vehicles using that road could face a fine of $5,000.