5 months after Helene: I-40 reopens, but other roads still closed

Over 155 roads in North Carolina remain closed due to devastation from Hurricane Helene, but one of the biggest highways in the region is finally ready to reopen five months after the storm.

It has been five months since Hurricane Helene devastated the southern Appalachians. This weekend, the section of Interstate 40 washed out near the North Carolina and Tennessee border is expected to finally reopen.

The major interstate has been completely closed since the Pigeon River took out 10 sections of a 4-mile stretch closest to the river. Since Helene ravaged the area, the closure has detoured an estimated 27,000 vehicles a day -- nearly 4 million vehicles -- to other roads in North Carolina and Tennessee.

This photo provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation shows the collapsed eastbound lane of I-40 into the Pigeon River in North Carolina near the Tennessee border, Sept. 28, 2024. (N.C. Department of Transportation via AP, File)

A total of 90,000 square feet of wall has been built between the river and the road. Only one lane in each direction will open, and the speed limit will be 40 mph, NCDOT says. David Uchiyama, Western Communications Manager for NCDOT, told AccuWeather that drivers will still experience delays at the new portion of I-40 that has opened and should still use alternate routes if possible.

Much of Blue Ridge Parkway still closed

Meanwhile, most of the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville, North Carolina, remains closed due to downed trees and mudslides. Because parts of the Parkway are closed periodically in the winter, no new sections have reopened since November.

A Hurricane Helene triggered landslide caused a complete collapse of the roadbed at Gooch Gap - Milepost 336 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The worst damage is near Mount Mitchell, the National Park Service, which is responsible for the highway, said.

"The highest concentration of overall damage occurred from the Linville Falls area near milepost 317 south to Mount Mitchell State Park near milepost 349," the NPS website reads.

"Along with the destruction of park facilities near Linville Falls, including the visitor center, picnic area comfort station, and portions of the campground, park teams have documented over four dozen landslides and other storm-related natural and cultural resource damage in those 38 miles of Parkway alone," NPS says.

Recent layoffs will impact Helene recovery, Forest Service says

A recently fired U.S. Forest Service worker told CNN that the National Park layoffs would "severely impact" Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts in North Carolina, while a program manager with the agency described the layoffs as a "major threat" to Helene recovery in an interview with the Asheville Citizen Times.

There are still 155 roads that remain closed in North Carolina, five months after Helene struck the state.

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