The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced Monday that it is sending an additional $353 million in relief funding to North Carolina and Tennessee to help rebuild their infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
The funding comes after an earlier $167 million that was sent to both states after Helene devastated much of the region in September.
Most of the latest round of money — $250 million — will go toward rebuilding Interstate 40, which saw sections of road washed away during the storm and remains closed at the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.
The highway was initially scheduled to reopen in early 2025, but it is now closed indefinitely after a chunk of asphalt fell away from the roadway last month along the Pigeon River Gorge.
“Hurricane Helene devastated communities and cut off critical road infrastructure, and our Department is committed to helping repair and rebuild local infrastructure in order to support the impacted area’s long-term recovery,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “The emergency relief funding we’re announcing today will continue this important work and provide vital aid to the communities and states that have been impacted by this disaster.”
Here’s where the rest of the funding will go:
- The Tennessee Department of Transportation will use $70 million to repair parts of I-40 and I-26
- The U.S. Forest Service will use $7.6 million for making repairs and removing hazards from roadways and bridges in National Forests
- National Park Service will use $25 million for repairs along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Source: BPR.org, WBIR.com
