After Hurricane Helene caused sections of I-40 to collapse near the Pigeon River, engineers plan to start rebuilding from the river upward, with a $1 billion project expected to last until 2027. The repair strategy includes building a wall and constructing a causeway to access damaged areas. The repairs are critical for the economy and wildlife in western North Carolina.
NCDOT photo
Following Hurricane Helene's destruction in fall 2024, attention will soon turn to the much grander and more difficult long-range goal of a permanent fix to the major U.S. highway.
With two of the four lanes of the collapsed portion of Interstate 40 set to be reopened on March 1, 2025 in far western N.C., following Hurricane Helene's destruction in fall 2024, attention will soon turn to the much grander and more difficult long-range goal of a permanent fix to the major U.S. highway.
That job will require a stunning engineering and construction feat, projected to last until at least 2027.
It is an effort that would have been hard to imagine a year ago before Helene's heavy rains turned the Pigeon River into a torrent that undercut the interstate and literally dropped portions of the eastbound lanes into the river approximately 5 mi. east of the Tenn. state line.
That was followed by a freeze and thaw cycle that collapsed another section of interstate in Haywood County to tumble into the riverbed in January 2025.
After considering a range of possibilities, including a viaduct and tunnel, engineers are calling for a plan that builds a wall, beginning near the river and working up the slope, to hold the Pigeon in place.
Even at a projected cost of $1 billion, it seems to be the cheapest option, according to a consulting engineer who met with the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) earlier this year.
The Mountaineer, a news source based in Waynesville, N.C., obtained a recording of the MPO meeting, which offers a sneak peak of what is included in the plans, which have not been revealed publicly. The planning group consists of local leaders and representatives who serve as liaisons between their communities and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
At this particular meeting, a progress report on the I-40 repair job was delivered by Brian Burch, chief consultant of the national engineering firm HNTB. He said the repair plan outlines work to begin below the interstate and build up the slope.
"The entire five miles have damage," he told The Mountaineer. "We have a lot of extreme failures. This is a very difficult and complicated area to construct. The river has moved and it is underneath our slopes."
Before repairs to the damaged sections of I-40 can start, a temporary construction road — what Burch described as a causeway — needs to be built along the river channel. By putting the structure 10 ft. above the normal flow of the Pigeon River, it will allow workers to access and repair the damaged slopes and be strong enough to survive major floods in the future.
"They will work and reconstruct this area from the bottom up," he said. "They will [also] be working from that causeway rather than working on top."
Once repairs to the interstate are completed, the causeway may be left intact to allow for the migration of elk, bear and other wildlife in the area.
"Right now, a lot of them try to cross I-40," he said. "That is something that is being considered, [although] nothing [is] final."
The freeway rebuild and repair also will include constructing what Burch described as a massive concrete dam that will protect that section of interstate from future flood events.
When asked by The Mountaineer if any thought was given to building tunnels or viaducts in the damaged areas, he said that engineers and designers considered various options, as well as their costs and the time needed to construct them, before determining that none were viable.
"We looked at tunneling this entire five miles, we looked at viaducts for these entire five miles," he said before noting the wall was "the quickest and cheapest best option."
Shot of Hope for Western North Carolina
Waynesville Town Council Member Anthony Sutton, who also is chair of the MPO, shared a report to his fellow town board members following the MPO meeting.
He revealed that the full reopening of I-40 will not happen until at least October 2026.
In addition, Sutton warned that that timetable could stretch another 12 months into 2027 because making repairs to the damaged stretch of freeway from the Tenn. state line to Mile Marker 5 in Haywood County is going to be a complicated endeavor.
Kevin Ensley, chair of the Haywood Board of Commissioners, who also attended the MPO meeting, told Burch his presentation was good news for both the county and region.
"Your presentation has given me a lot more hope than I thought I would have right now," Ensley said. "We need to get this fixed because it is critical to the economy of Haywood County and Western North Carolina. I want to thank you for all your work."
Sutton also acknowledged the help of U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis for working diligently to keep federal money flowing to repair and clean up the storm damage in the western end of the Tarheel State.
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