NORTH CAROLINA, USA — I-40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee border may reopen by New Year’s Day, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
NCDOT is set to have one lane of traffic open in each direction by this date.
The reopening is part of ongoing efforts to stabilize the road, which suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Helene.
NCDOT officials remain in high spirits that their contractors will be able to complete the current stabilization phase, allowing vehicles to travel at 40 mph on a 9-mile stretch spanning through both Tennessee and North Carolina.
“We are optimistic that our contract partners can complete the work, establish one narrow lane in each direction, and create a safe work zone for the long-term restoration,” NCDOT’s Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said. “We are working to open I-40 when it is safe, and it will be tight conditions for everybody. But if everybody is patient, everybody can get through.”
NCDOT told WFMY News 2 the following in October: “The bottom line is -- it's a very dangerous work zone. It's right next to a gorge. There are a lot of moving parts to get I-40 open in this area once again. But the first step is making sure the westbound lanes are safe. The incentive date for Wright Brothers Construction to make that happen is January 4. So, it's progress.”
Contract crews are installing a series of soil-nail walls to create a barrier against further erosion.
Following the soil-nail work, a concrete safety barrier will be installed to divide the single lanes in each direction for the five miles between the double-tunnel area in North Carolina and the Tennessee state line. An additional two-lane pattern will be set up for local traffic along four miles in Tennessee.
NCDOT said they awarded an $8.5 million contract to Wright Brothers Construction for the stabilization repairs and GeoStabilization International is the subcontractor building the soil-nail wall.
While this temporary solution addresses immediate needs, the project’s long-term reconstruction phase is still in its initial planning stages. NCDOT said they have hired RK&K as a design firm, Ames Construction as the contractor, and HNTB as the project manager.
There is no timeline yet for a date to start construction or a general estimate of how much the project will cost.
"Everybody has been coming up with ideas and all good solutions are still on the table,” Payne said. “We will collaboratively choose the best long-term solution."
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