NCDOT: Interstate 40 traffic flow to return in the Smokies by New Year’s Day

A spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation said construction work started days after Hurricane Helene will allow two-way traffic on Interstate 40 by New Year’s Day.

The completion of the stabilization project on eastbound lanes washed out by the Pigeon River will give motorists a narrow one-lane route with a 40 mile per hour speed limit.

The repair arrangement allows traffic to flow and gives crews enough space to repair more lanes in the interim. The nine mile stretch extends from the Tennessee state line in the Smokies.

(IMAGE: NCDOT / Official Facebook)