I-40 in North Carolina

[Strider]

The Asheville Watchdog had a lengthy opinion column today about I-40 through the WNC mountains.

He also included and featured a bit of my history that I wrote last fall.

https://avlwatchdog.org/opinion-locating-i-40-through-the-pigeon-river-gorge-was-a-bad-idea-but-were-stuck-with-it/

Another opinion article. Yawn. But exactly what the title says. We're stuck with it. That says it all.

[sprjus4]

The Asheville Watchdog had a lengthy opinion column today about I-40 through the WNC mountains.

He also included and featured a bit of my history that I wrote last fall.

https://avlwatchdog.org/opinion-locating-i-40-through-the-pigeon-river-gorge-was-a-bad-idea-but-were-stuck-with-it/

Another opinion article. Yawn.

Did you even read the article?

[The Ghostbuster]

It seems like a no-win situation.

[Beltway]

They are not "stuck with it" -- TDOT and NCDOT need to start thinking toward the future.

The relocations that I have proposed would be 10 to 20 miles in length. Should be doable for less than $100 million per mile.

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Here's the latest on the I-40 closure and reconstruction through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

How many months closed?
+ The highway was destroyed by Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, and reopened to restricted traffic on March 1, 2025.
+ That's a five-month full closure, during which no through traffic was allowed across the state line.

How many months until both roadways are open?
+ As of now, only one lane in each direction is open, with narrow shoulders, no emergency pull-offs, and speed limits of 35–40 mph.
+ Full restoration is expected to take 2 to 3 years, meaning both roadways may not be fully open until 2027 or 2028.
+ NCDOT says they're only 10–15% into the design phase for permanent reconstruction.

Latest cost estimate
+ The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion.
+ In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $352.6 million in emergency relief funds, including:
+ $250 million for North Carolina DOT (I-40 repairs)
+ $70 million for Tennessee DOT (I-40 and I-26 repairs)

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-12-20-i-40-gorge-delay.aspx
https://www.ncdot.gov/helene-recovery/Pages/helene-repairs.aspx


The I-26 route is an emergency detour, and it has its own severe problems from the same storm event.

As of late October 2024, Interstate 26 in Unicoi County, Tennessee has been partially reopened following extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. Here's the current status:

Reopening Details
+ One lane in each direction is open between mile markers 39 and 40, using the westbound bridge with a temporary fix.
+ The eastbound bridge is still under repair; once complete, traffic will shift to allow permanent repairs on the westbound side.
+ Oversized loads (over 12 feet wide) are not permitted due to the shared bridge configuration.
+ Exit 40 (Jackson Love Highway) remains closed, though entrance ramps are open.

Ongoing work -- TDOT is actively working to restore full capacity, with hopes of reconnecting the entire corridor within 30 to 45 days from mid-October 2025. Until then, commercial traffic is being rerouted via I-81 and I-77.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2024/10/1/tdot-storm-damage-update.html

[Strider]

They are not "stuck with it" -- TDOT and NCDOT need to start thinking toward the future.

The relocations that I have proposed would be 10 to 20 miles in length. Should be doable for less than $100 million per mile.

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Here's the latest on the I-40 closure and reconstruction through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

How many months closed?
+ The highway was destroyed by Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, and reopened to restricted traffic on March 1, 2025.
+ That's a five-month full closure, during which no through traffic was allowed across the state line.

How many months until both roadways are open?
+ As of now, only one lane in each direction is open, with narrow shoulders, no emergency pull-offs, and speed limits of 35–40 mph.
+ Full restoration is expected to take 2 to 3 years, meaning both roadways may not be fully open until 2027 or 2028.
+ NCDOT says they're only 10–15% into the design phase for permanent reconstruction.

Latest cost estimate
+ The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion.
+ In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $352.6 million in emergency relief funds, including:
+ $250 million for North Carolina DOT (I-40 repairs)
+ $70 million for Tennessee DOT (I-40 and I-26 repairs)

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-12-20-i-40-gorge-delay.aspx
https://www.ncdot.gov/helene-recovery/Pages/helene-repairs.aspx


The I-26 route is an emergency detour, and it has its own severe problems from the same storm event.

As of late October 2024, Interstate 26 in Unicoi County, Tennessee has been partially reopened following extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. Here's the current status:

Reopening Details
+ One lane in each direction is open between mile markers 39 and 40, using the westbound bridge with a temporary fix.
+ The eastbound bridge is still under repair; once complete, traffic will shift to allow permanent repairs on the westbound side.
+ Oversized loads (over 12 feet wide) are not permitted due to the shared bridge configuration.
+ Exit 40 (Jackson Love Highway) remains closed, though entrance ramps are open.

Ongoing work -- TDOT is actively working to restore full capacity, with hopes of reconnecting the entire corridor within 30 to 45 days from mid-October 2025. Until then, commercial traffic is being rerouted via I-81 and I-77.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2024/10/1/tdot-storm-damage-update.html

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

[Strider]

The Asheville Watchdog had a lengthy opinion column today about I-40 through the WNC mountains.

He also included and featured a bit of my history that I wrote last fall.

https://avlwatchdog.org/opinion-locating-i-40-through-the-pigeon-river-gorge-was-a-bad-idea-but-were-stuck-with-it/

Another opinion article. Yawn.

Did you even read the article?

Yeah I did, otherwise I wouldn't have responded. I stand with my comment regardless.

[Beltway]

Latest cost estimate
+ The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion.
+ In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $352.6 million in emergency relief funds, including:
+ $250 million for North Carolina DOT (I-40 repairs)
+ $70 million for Tennessee DOT (I-40 and I-26 repairs)

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

How about people that live in Tennessee?

[sprjus4]

They are not "stuck with it" -- TDOT and NCDOT need to start thinking toward the future.

The relocations that I have proposed would be 10 to 20 miles in length. Should be doable for less than $100 million per mile.

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Here's the latest on the I-40 closure and reconstruction through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

How many months closed?
+ The highway was destroyed by Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, and reopened to restricted traffic on March 1, 2025.
+ That's a five-month full closure, during which no through traffic was allowed across the state line.

How many months until both roadways are open?
+ As of now, only one lane in each direction is open, with narrow shoulders, no emergency pull-offs, and speed limits of 35–40 mph.
+ Full restoration is expected to take 2 to 3 years, meaning both roadways may not be fully open until 2027 or 2028.
+ NCDOT says they're only 10–15% into the design phase for permanent reconstruction.

Latest cost estimate
+ The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion.
+ In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $352.6 million in emergency relief funds, including:
+ $250 million for North Carolina DOT (I-40 repairs)
+ $70 million for Tennessee DOT (I-40 and I-26 repairs)

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-12-20-i-40-gorge-delay.aspx
https://www.ncdot.gov/helene-recovery/Pages/helene-repairs.aspx


The I-26 route is an emergency detour, and it has its own severe problems from the same storm event.

As of late October 2024, Interstate 26 in Unicoi County, Tennessee has been partially reopened following extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. Here's the current status:

Reopening Details
+ One lane in each direction is open between mile markers 39 and 40, using the westbound bridge with a temporary fix.
+ The eastbound bridge is still under repair; once complete, traffic will shift to allow permanent repairs on the westbound side.
+ Oversized loads (over 12 feet wide) are not permitted due to the shared bridge configuration.
+ Exit 40 (Jackson Love Highway) remains closed, though entrance ramps are open.

Ongoing work -- TDOT is actively working to restore full capacity, with hopes of reconnecting the entire corridor within 30 to 45 days from mid-October 2025. Until then, commercial traffic is being rerouted via I-81 and I-77.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2024/10/1/tdot-storm-damage-update.html

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

And still commenting nonetheless.

[Beltway]

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

And still commenting nonetheless.

So you have to live in N.C. to validly comment on something that is costing the federal government $1 billion in emergency funds to fix?

And on possible long term solutions?

[sprjus4]

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

And still commenting nonetheless.

So you have to live in N.C. to validly comment on something that is costing the federal government $1 billion in emergency funds to fix?

And on possible long term solutions?

No, I agree with what you're saying.

I'm pointing out Strider is still commenting despite saying "moving on".

[Beltway]

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

And still commenting nonetheless.

So you have to live in N.C. to validly comment on something that is costing the federal government $1 billion in emergency funds to fix?
And on possible long term solutions?

No, I agree with what you're saying.
I'm pointing out Strider is still commenting despite saying "moving on".

Oh OK .. I must have misinterpreted what you said.

[Plutonic Panda]

They are not "stuck with it" -- TDOT and NCDOT need to start thinking toward the future.

The relocations that I have proposed would be 10 to 20 miles in length. Should be doable for less than $100 million per mile.

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Here's the latest on the I-40 closure and reconstruction through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

How many months closed?
+ The highway was destroyed by Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, and reopened to restricted traffic on March 1, 2025.
+ That's a five-month full closure, during which no through traffic was allowed across the state line.

How many months until both roadways are open?
+ As of now, only one lane in each direction is open, with narrow shoulders, no emergency pull-offs, and speed limits of 35–40 mph.
+ Full restoration is expected to take 2 to 3 years, meaning both roadways may not be fully open until 2027 or 2028.
+ NCDOT says they're only 10–15% into the design phase for permanent reconstruction.

Latest cost estimate
+ The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion.
+ In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $352.6 million in emergency relief funds, including:
+ $250 million for North Carolina DOT (I-40 repairs)
+ $70 million for Tennessee DOT (I-40 and I-26 repairs)

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-12-20-i-40-gorge-delay.aspx
https://www.ncdot.gov/helene-recovery/Pages/helene-repairs.aspx


The I-26 route is an emergency detour, and it has its own severe problems from the same storm event.

As of late October 2024, Interstate 26 in Unicoi County, Tennessee has been partially reopened following extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. Here's the current status:

Reopening Details
+ One lane in each direction is open between mile markers 39 and 40, using the westbound bridge with a temporary fix.
+ The eastbound bridge is still under repair; once complete, traffic will shift to allow permanent repairs on the westbound side.
+ Oversized loads (over 12 feet wide) are not permitted due to the shared bridge configuration.
+ Exit 40 (Jackson Love Highway) remains closed, though entrance ramps are open.

Ongoing work -- TDOT is actively working to restore full capacity, with hopes of reconnecting the entire corridor within 30 to 45 days from mid-October 2025. Until then, commercial traffic is being rerouted via I-81 and I-77.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2024/10/1/tdot-storm-damage-update.html

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

So what's your solution? Because it seems like to me this highway is fucked. Simply rebuilding it doesn't seem like a long-term solution.

[bwana39]

They are not "stuck with it" -- TDOT and NCDOT need to start thinking toward the future.

The relocations that I have proposed would be 10 to 20 miles in length. Should be doable for less than $100 million per mile.

The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion. Plus enormous disruption by the current situation. The current alignment is a wasting asset.

Here's the latest on the I-40 closure and reconstruction through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

How many months closed?
+ The highway was destroyed by Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, and reopened to restricted traffic on March 1, 2025.
+ That's a five-month full closure, during which no through traffic was allowed across the state line.

How many months until both roadways are open?
+ As of now, only one lane in each direction is open, with narrow shoulders, no emergency pull-offs, and speed limits of 35–40 mph.
+ Full restoration is expected to take 2 to 3 years, meaning both roadways may not be fully open until 2027 or 2028.
+ NCDOT says they're only 10–15% into the design phase for permanent reconstruction.

Latest cost estimate
+ The total cost to fully rebuild I-40 through the gorge is projected to exceed $1 billion.
+ In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $352.6 million in emergency relief funds, including:
+ $250 million for North Carolina DOT (I-40 repairs)
+ $70 million for Tennessee DOT (I-40 and I-26 repairs)

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-12-20-i-40-gorge-delay.aspx
https://www.ncdot.gov/helene-recovery/Pages/helene-repairs.aspx


The I-26 route is an emergency detour, and it has its own severe problems from the same storm event.

As of late October 2024, Interstate 26 in Unicoi County, Tennessee has been partially reopened following extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. Here's the current status:

Reopening Details
+ One lane in each direction is open between mile markers 39 and 40, using the westbound bridge with a temporary fix.
+ The eastbound bridge is still under repair; once complete, traffic will shift to allow permanent repairs on the westbound side.
+ Oversized loads (over 12 feet wide) are not permitted due to the shared bridge configuration.
+ Exit 40 (Jackson Love Highway) remains closed, though entrance ramps are open.

Ongoing work -- TDOT is actively working to restore full capacity, with hopes of reconnecting the entire corridor within 30 to 45 days from mid-October 2025. Until then, commercial traffic is being rerouted via I-81 and I-77.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2024/10/1/tdot-storm-damage-update.html

Even with this long post, you still don't get the memo. And you don't live in NC. Moving on.

So what's your solution? Because it seems like to me this highway is fucked. Simply rebuilding it doesn't seem like a long-term solution.

Yep and the purists on here scream it is fantasy roads if you suggest relocation might be the better solution!

[Beltway]

[I-40 NC/TN]

So what's your solution? Because it seems like to me this highway is fucked. Simply rebuilding it doesn't seem like a long-term solution.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear --
Rebuilding to reopen in the next year or two is needed.

Realignment is something that will need to be studied over the next 5 or 10 years, to look at a range of alternatives.

[sprjus4]

And to say long term solutions like relocation are not necessary is just foolish. Over the next 10-20 years, you might spend billions and billions of dollars conducting continuous major repairs as more rockslides, hurricanes, etc. pass through the area, and that could get worse as time progresses to.

An expensive alternative like relocation and tunneling portions might be the best long term solution, despite high cost.

To immediately dismiss this and say "oh you're not from NC you can't talk about this" isn't helping anything.

[Strider]

You guys can keep talking about that. Like I said, the repairs are ALREADY UNDERWAY so there is NOTHING we can do about it, period. You can't argue or trying to make points if the repairs are already under way. I can dismiss whoever is talking about relocating because it was already been considered numerous times (clearly you didn't read enough) and they chose to fix I-40 instead. This case is already closed. It's done. Over. There is no point to continue unless another issue pops up again.

If you have to be "Mr/Mrs. I want this highway to be relocated, this is my opinion and I know I am right, blah blah." Move that part to fictional forums and talk about it there.

[sprjus4]

You guys can keep talking about that. Like I said, the repairs are ALREADY UNDERWAY so there is NOTHING we can do about it, period. You can't argue or trying to make points if the repairs are already under way.

Okay? You're correct that immediate and short term repairs are underway. But what about long term? Do you allow these issues to continue forever and continuously spend billions of dollars over many years continuously repairing it?

Or do you invest the money now to develop a viable, long term solution that won't need nearly as much in maintenance or repairs continuously?

Short term repairs do not preclude long term ambitions. Two examples I can think of Virginia.

1) The city of Chesapeake spent $10 million rehabilitating (to extend lifespan for another 10-15 years ) a drawbridge whilst conducting a feasibility study for a long term replacement with a 4 lane, high level structure estimated over $200 million. In 2021, a barge struck the bridge and the city had to close it again for 6 months and perform repairs and maintenance to re-open it to traffic.

2) VDOT is spending $7 million to perform critical maintenance on the VA-3 Robert Norris Bridge over the Rappahannock River despite the fact a new bridge is set to begin construction in 2028 for $750 million.

Neither of these short term repair and maintenance projects precluded long term studies and projects from simultaneously happening. The same can be said about I-40 in North Carolina.

I can dismiss whoever is talking about relocating because it was already been considered numerous times (clearly you didn't read enough) and they chose to fix I-40 instead. This case is already closed. It's done. Over. There is no point to continue unless another issue pops up again.

Can dismiss, and yet you still keep commenting? Sounds like you're quite invested and not dismissive.

If you have to be "Mr/Mrs. I want this highway to be relocated, this is my opinion and I know I am right, blah blah."

If you change the "Highway to be relocated" part, this sounds like you.

[Strider]

I already created a fiction highway part of this discussion, so feel free to talk about it over there.

[Strider]

If you have to be "Mr/Mrs. I want this highway to be relocated, this is my opinion and I know I am right, blah blah."

If you change the "Highway to be relocated" part, this sounds like you.
[/quote]

Nah, this is what you are. I have seen plenty of threads you commented to know it sounds like you.

[Beltway]

And to say long term solutions like relocation are not necessary is just foolish. Over the next 10-20 years, you might spend billions and billions of dollars conducting continuous major repairs as more rockslides, hurricanes, etc. pass through the area, and that could get worse as time progresses to.
An expensive alternative like relocation and tunneling portions might be the best long term solution, despite high cost.

My comments about future proposals are open-ended, with no specific timetable.

5, 10, 20 years -- I don't know. Look at how long it has taken to finish ADHS highways, that was authorized in 1965.

I-40 should have much higher priority than that.

To immediately dismiss this and say "oh you're not from NC you can't talk about this" isn't helping anything.

My reply to that was that these funds are outside of North Carolina's normal FHWA allocations. They come from the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief (ER) program, which is a separate funding stream specifically designed for disaster recovery.

The 12-mile stretch of I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. According to NCDOT's Helene Recovery page, the estimated cost for reconstruction is $1 billion, making it the single most expensive highway recovery project in Western North Carolina. This figure includes slope stabilization, roadbed reconstruction, and likely viaduct engineering, given the terrain and repeated failures.

This means that all 50 states are paying for it -- and their residents are perfectly justified in discussing the present and future of this highway segment.

[architect77]

And to say long term solutions like relocation are not necessary is just foolish. Over the next 10-20 years, you might spend billions and billions of dollars conducting continuous major repairs as more rockslides, hurricanes, etc. pass through the area, and that could get worse as time progresses to.

An expensive alternative like relocation and tunneling portions might be the best long term solution, despite high cost.

To immediately dismiss this and say "oh you're not from NC you can't talk about this" isn't helping anything.

NCDOT funds are stretched to the limit more than ever. I wish they'd raise the gas tax by 20 cents or so. Gas costs the same in SC and GA and NC has the biggest system to maintain so it should be collecting more.

If a private consortium can finance it and toll it, then sure it's possible. But the state as of today has chosen to embrace visible cost cutting and a decline in the high standards they used to be known for.

Yearly weather events are bankrupting NCDOT's finances.

[Beltway]

NCDOT funds are stretched to the limit more than ever. I wish they'd raise the gas tax by 20 cents or so. Gas costs the same in SC and GA and NC has the biggest system to maintain so it should be collecting more.
If a private consortium can finance it and toll it, then sure it's possible. But the state as of today has chosen to embrace visible cost cutting and a decline in the high standards they used to be known for.
Yearly weather events are bankrupting NCDOT's finances.

Study it first -- issue a contract for a NEPA Environmental Impact Statement / location study. That would do the groundwork.

According to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the average EIS completion time from Notice of Intent (NOI) to Record of Decision (ROD) across federal agencies was 4.5 years, with a median of 3.5 years. But here's the kicker: 25% of EISs took more than 6 years, and some stretched beyond 8.

However, highway projects often take longer than average. CEQ's own fact sheets and white papers note that federal highway EISs have historically averaged over 7 years to complete. The extended timeline is usually due to:
+ Complex interagency coordination (FHWA, state DOTs, USFS, etc.)
+ High public engagement and litigation risk
+ Sensitive environmental and community impacts

https://edit.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/8-nepa-ceq-factsheet-508.pdf