The state Department of Transportation has crews repairing the damage that Helene wrought on infrastructure, including roads and bridges in Western North Carolina – many of which were closed or destroyed due to mudslides and flooding.
“Damage estimates from what we have been able to assess to this point are up to several billion dollars and we’re not done,” said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. “The damage to our roads and bridges is like nothing we’ve ever seen after any storm, and this will be a long-term recovery operation. But we will be here until Western North Carolina can get back on its feet.”
Interstate 40 near Old Fort in downtown Asheville; I-26 in Henderson and Polk counties; U.S. 221; and U.S. 25 and 75 in Asheville are all open.
Roads and bridges are still damaged in over 6,900 places, according to NCDOT.
Current closures include multiple stretches of I-40, U.S. 64, U.S. 19, N.C. 215, N.C. 226, and N.C. 197.
This number may be fluid and continue to rise as assessments continue.
Destruction from Helene in Boone, N.C., on Sept. 30, 2024. Photo by Water Mission non-profit.
Wright Brothers Construction has been awarded a $10 million contract to help repair the westbound lanes of I-40, to be completed in early January.
The agency continues to discourage unnecessary travel in Western North Carolina and large commercial trucks are restricted in many areas.