CHARLOTTE, N.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it will be months before crews are able to repair the stretch of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee border after it washed out during Hurricane Helene.
Hundreds of roads are closed in the western half of the state, and NCDOT says all roads should be considered closed. That includes significant portions of I-40, which are open only to emergency traffic and evacuees. Meanwhile, a portion of Interstate 26 in Erwin, Tennessee, was destroyed by Helene. That's just a few miles from the North Carolina border.
For now, traffic that would normally take either of those highways must use Interstates 81 and 77 to get to Charlotte.
"I-40 is a clear priority," Buttigieg told WCNC Charlotte. "There are also still parts of I-26 that are compromised, although I was pleased to see how much of that got back up and running by yesterday. We estimate over 400 roads still closed and are engaging with North Carolina DOT to address them. It's difficult to overstate how profound and widespread the damage is here."
Buttigieg says the federal government's role is now ensuring money isn't a barrier for those recovering from the storm. That includes rebuilding major highways, such as I-40. He said NCDOT plans to file for emergency relief that will open federal funding to repair roads. The money can be used for everything from debris removal to preparation and reconstruction.
It's going to be a long process. Buttigieg reiterated NCDOT's warning that it will be "months at a minimum" before I-40 is fully repaired. A Google Maps alert states the road won't be reopened until September 2025, but NCDOT officials say there isn't an estimated time for when the highway will be fixed.
Buttigieg pushed back against claims from people saying the federal government was slow to respond and assist Helene survivors.
"The administration was there on day one. Actually, before day one because many were prepositioned," he said. "This is a storm that had a path that went across multiple states, but that's exactly why we have thousands of people on the ground. I had a chance to be at the FEMA Command Center, and was briefed by video conference from each of the impacted states. The dedication of responders on the ground and of the emergency support personnel from across the administration supporting them is inspiring."
Buttigieg says crews are working around the clock to get power and cellphone communication restored. He also said President Joe Biden has been personally involved. The president took an aerial tour of damage in the Carolinas on Wednesday and met with both North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. The White House said Biden's tour didn't get on the ground because the security requirements would've hindered search-and-rescue efforts on limited roads.
Timelines for road repairs will be dictated by safety, according to Buttigieg, who said it's important to be cautious and accurate when making promises about restoring western North Carolina's highways.
"We would like for every road to be fully repaired yesterday," he said. "But I want to be very transparent and honest here. This won't be fixed overnight. There are a lot of steps that we're going to have to work through to make sure that we're building back safely. And in some cases, that might be the newly reconstructed bridge will look a little bit differently than the one it replaced. The reality is we have to build for a new normal here in terms of the extreme weather in this country."
Buttigieg also raised concerns that Helene's damage could require more money than what's available to the federal government. Numerous lawmakers from North Carolina, including Rep. Ted Budd and Sen. Thom Tillis, called on Congress to come back into session to pass relief.
"Based on the preliminary estimates and numbers that I'm seeing, this one storm alone will generate more need than what we currently have in our whole emergency relief program as a department," he said. "We can meet the immediate requests that are coming in, but there's just no way that we can do what needs to be done without help from Congress. We're going to need supplemental funding."