Interstate 26 was reopened to traffic on Wednesday, allowing commuters to travel between North Carolina and Tennessee once again. This was made possible after contractors successfully completed the construction of a temporary causeway over the Nolichucky River in eastern Tennessee.
Since the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused floodwaters to wash out two bridge spans on September 27, I-26 has been closed at the state line.
The Pigeon River Gorge was severely affected by the storm, leading to sections of Interstate 40 being washed out. As a result, the main highway connection between the two states was severed. The N.C. Department of Transportation has not provided a specific timeframe for the reopening of that portion of I-40.
The I-26 bridge’s collapsed spans were situated near the river bank. Instead of replacing both spans simultaneously, the Tennessee Department of Transportation opted to create a temporary roadway. They accomplished this by filling the area on the westbound side with 33,000 tons of stone and then paving over it.
According to Mark Nagi, a spokesperson for TDOT, completing this task would typically take several months. However, due to the significance of this connection for East Tennesseans, they were able to think creatively and reopen it in just a few weeks.
After the reconstruction of the eastbound bridge span, the traffic will be redirected, and a new westbound bridge will replace the temporary road.
Interstate 40 in North Carolina is currently closed west of Exit 20 due to the recent flooding. On the Tennessee side, portions of the eastbound lanes were also washed into the river. As a result, I-40 is open only to local traffic and deliveries beyond Exit 440, and it is completely closed to all traffic at Exit 451.