TDOT Helene update 12-13-24

Hurricane Helene damaged 49 state routes across Northeast Tennessee, but by TDOT says that by the end of the year, 42 of those routes should be reopened. Tennessee Department of Transportation officials say that 421 in Johnson County should be open by the end of the year, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. State Route 81 in Washington County and State Route 107 in Greene County, those are two bridges that were washed away during Helene but work is already underway to replace them. Those bridges are expected to be complete by the summer of 2025, weather permitting. Road work is still ongoing on I-26 in Erwin, but one lane of traffic is open in both directions as a temporary fix.