Interstate 40 is set to open to traffic on Saturday for the first time since Hurricane Helene swelled the Pigeon River and scoured large swaths of eastbound lanes last September.
N.C. Department of Transportation and contract crews have stabilized the remaining westbound lanes and prepared them to provide one lane of traffic in each direction.
“We are happy to have this open for the people who depend on a connected transportation system between North Carolina and Tennessee,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said in a press releaes. “This opening improves the flow of people, goods and services between our two states and between locations far beyond Haywood County.”
Combined with the restoration efforts in Tennessee, the one-lane stretch extends approximately 12 miles from Cold Springs Creek Road (Exit 7) in North Carolina to Big Creek Road (Exit 447) in Tennessee.
On the North Carolina side, drivers heading through the Pigeon River Gorge corridor should expect unusual conditions for interstate travel:
Narrowed lanes with reduced shoulders
A reduced speed limit of 35 mph
A 9-inch by 9-inch concrete curb separating traffic
Periodic breaks to provide EMS access
Emergency-only lane on the eastbound side
Standard 18-wheelers allowed; no wide loads
Anticipate Delays
Transportation officials anticipate there will be delays passing through the gorge due to these unique conditions – and even more so during heavy travel periods which have traditionally been Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and holiday weekends.
Drivers should consider the alternate route of I-26 from Asheville to Kingsport, Tenn., then I-81 South to I-40.
Drivers of standard 18-wheelers should note that while they will be allowed to travel on I-40 through the gorge, there are no alternate routes available for them beyond Exit 20 (U.S. 276) despite some GPS devices and mobile phone apps suggesting they can take an exit in the gorge.
Wide loads must utilize I-77 and I-81 to travel between the two states.
From Helene to Today
The hurricane washed away about 3 million cubic yards of dirt, rock and material from the side of I-40. NCDOT immediately closed the interstate.
In early October, Wright Brothers, with GeoStabilization International as a sub-contractor, was awarded the contract to stabilize the westbound lanes and create the two-lane pattern that exists today.
The stabilization process involved driving steel rods into the bedrock, filling the rods with grout, applying a metal screen then sprayable concrete to the face of the walls. There were four different rigs operating at the same time.
Crews installed 90,000 square feet of soil-nail walls across the 10 different damage locations in less than 130 days. They also drilled nearly 2,100 feet of nails and fortified 4 miles of the shoulder for truck traffic.
NCDOT has entered a CMGC (Construction Manager/General Contractor) contract for the permanent reconstruction of I-40, with Ames Construction as the contractor, RK&K as the designer and HNTB as the project manager. This type of contract accelerates the timeline and reduces costs by having the contractor and designer work side-by-side as the project progresses.
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Contributed article/photo.
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