Travel To NC Remains A Challenge

Travel into western North Carolina is still extremely difficult and for commercial vehicles that travel will be difficult for quite some time. TDOT says they have seen an increase of commercial vehicles trying to use the Tail of the Dragon, US 129 in Blount County. TDOT is now reminding drivers of commercial vehicles that no trucks with trailers over 30 feet in length, or single units over 30 feet in length are allowed on that highway. The same also goes for US 441, Newfound Gap Road through the Great Smoky Mo0untains National park. Commercial vehicles are being re-routed up Interstate 81 north into Virginia to I-77 south at Wytheville and then into North Carolina. I-77 interesects with I-40 in Statesville, NC.

So, for a commercial vehicle trying to get from Knoxville to Asheville, nearly 250 additional miles are being put on that trip, which adds about 4 hours to their travel time. I-40 is closed at exit 440 in Cocke County right now. But, the interstate is impassable in North Carolina as portions of the Eastbound lanes have been wiped out. I-26 is closed from Erwin to the North Carolina state line due to a part of that interstate being destroyed. Over 24,000 vehicles a day travel that part of I-26, but over 40,000 vehicles a day go through the Pigeon River Gorge on I-40.