From Staff Reports 

NEWPORT, Tenn. — Interstate 40, “a vital economic connection through the Appalachian Mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina, likely will not completely reopen until 2028,” the Knoxville News Sentinel reported on Aug. 29.

“The pass through the Pigeon River Gorge was washed out in Hurricane Helene last September, causing massive structural damage,” the KNW stated. “Construction in the past 11 months in North Carolina has been marked mostly by temporary repairs to stabilize the parts of the road that weren’t washed out.”

AI Overview noted on Sept. 1 that “the initial damage from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 led to closures and reconstruction, but the road has since been reopened to traffic, though it will remain in a narrowed configuration for some time.”