Interstate 26 connecting North Carolina and Tennessee reopened on Wednesday as construction crews finished a temporary causeway over the Nolichucky River.
I-26 has been closed since Sept. 27, when floodwaters from Hurricane Helene washed out two bridge spans. The storm also washed-out sections of Interstate 40. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) does not have a timeline for when that will reopen.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) created a temporary roadway by filling the area on the westbound side with 33,000 tons of stone and paving over it.
“Under normal processes, this work would have taken months,” said TDOT Spokesperson Mark Nagi. “But because this is such an important connection for East Tennesseans, we were able to think outside the box and get this back open in just a few weeks.”
Traffic will shift and the temporary road will be replaced with a new westbound bridge after the eastbound span is rebuilt.
I-26 will be reduced to one lane where it crosses the Nolichucky River in Erwin, Tenn. Vehicles more than 12 feet long with wide loads will be prohibited. Trucks will continue to be sent on a detour using Interstate 81 and 77.
Source: The Herald, The Knoxville News
