Any hope engineers had that Interstate 40 could reopen soon with one lane in each direction washed away this week as another large chunk of asphalt collapsed at the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
More than 10 sites in a 4-mile stretch collapsed in the mountainous Pigeon River Gorge during the Sept. 27 Hurricane Helene floods.
North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said the reopening now will take even longer than expected because they’ll have to reassess how to move traffic onto two narrow lanes. The pass was originally supposed to open in January.
“It is an unfortunate situation,” NCDOT engineer Wanda Payne said in a news release. “It’s a new hurdle that we have to overcome in order to provide a safe facility for the traveling public.”
Wet weather and the freeze-thaw cycle contributed to the new collapse.
NCDOT spent at least $8.5 million to stabilize lanes with a soil-nail wall and other stabilization repairs, according to a news release.
When it opens again, the heavily traveled four-lane highway will be down to 40 mph on just two lanes. Crews will use the extra space to work on long-term repairs with a goal of eventually opening the important route through the Appalachians.
Drivers should use alternate interstates to travel around the closure.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: New collapse on Interstate 40 at Tennessee-North Carolina border delays opening