NORTH CAROLINA — A hurricane-damaged stretch of Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge is now expected to take several more years and billions of dollars to fully restore, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
NCDOT said in a Sept. 2 update that the five-mile section of I-40 damaged by Hurricane Helene in late September 2024 is now expected to be fully restored to four lanes of traffic by late 2029.
Repair Cost Estimate Rises to $2.8 Billion
Officials said new geotechnical information led to the updated timeline and cost estimate.
NCDOT now estimates the total cost of repairing I-40 through the gorge at approximately $2.8 billion.
That is up from an earlier estimate of about $2 billion.
The agency said it is continuing to look for ways to speed up the work and reduce costs without weakening the long-term resilience of the interstate.
Crews Working to Make Interstate More Resilient
NCDOT said the repair work is being designed to make the highway “extremely robust” against future extreme weather in the Pigeon River Gorge.
The area has a long history of flooding, slope failures, and storm-related damage.
“History shows us that I-40 in the Gorge is vulnerable to flooding and failure, and not addressing the vulnerabilities now would result in the same damages at some point in the future,” Division 14 Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said.
Grindstaff, who oversees highway operations in North Carolina’s 10 westernmost counties, said the consequences of slope failure along the corridor are significant.
“The cost and consequence of slope failure is very high along this critical transportation corridor,” he said.
NCDOT Looking for Ways to Accelerate Work
NCDOT said crews and engineers are reviewing design plans, construction methods, materials, and project sequencing to determine whether the schedule can be shortened.
“Our team continues to examine opportunities to expedite schedules and minimize costs within the design, construction methods, materials and sequencing without compromising the long-term resilience of the interstate,” Grindstaff said.
He said the goal is not only to rebuild the interstate, but to reduce the risk of another catastrophic failure.
“We are reconstructing it to withstand future extreme weather and reduce the risk of another catastrophic failure,” Grindstaff said.
Critical Freight and Travel Corridor
I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge is a key route for passenger traffic and freight movement between North Carolina and Tennessee.
NCDOT said the full restoration of the damaged five-mile stretch remains a major long-term project following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage.
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