Rebuilding I-40 a year after Hurricane Helene hits North Carolina

One year after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is still working to rebuild one of the state’s most critical roads: Interstate 40, through the Pigeon River Gorge near the Tennessee border.

“The damage is extremely extensive,” said Blake Soblesky, an NCDOT engineer overseeing the recovery. "This is the first time we've seen extensive damage on the riverside," he added.

I-40, considered a major lifeline into the mountains, was left impassable in sections. Soblesky said that what they initially thought was a rockslide turned out to be something much worse.

“To our surprise, it was not a slide; the river had washed out the highway,” Soblesky said.

Rushing water ripped through the gorge, wiping away entire lanes of pavement.

“A significant portion of eastbound lanes are completely gone,” he added.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/helene-damage-i40-traffic-9-27-2025/275-4f3d7231-2aa7-4f7a-820b-60a1f9d18af1

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