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.
Dozens of roads are closed and slowly reopening throughout the state.That includes significant portions of I-40, which are open only to emergency traffic and evacuees.
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 in a statement. "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. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has filed for emergency relief that will open federal funding to repair roads.
Buttigieg reiterated NCDOT's warning that it will be "months at a minimum" before I-40 is fully repaired. NCDOT officials say there isn't an estimated time for when the highway will be fixed.
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.
Source: WCNC Charlotte, Newsbreak.com
