A Google Maps alert that says Interstate 40 at the Tennessee-North Carolina border will be closed until September 2025 is not the definitive date, Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Nagi told Knox News on Oct. 2.
I-40 East is closed because miles of the highway were washed away during flooding caused by the tropical storm generated by Hurricane Helene. The washed out section stretches from mile marker 432 in Tennessee east to mile marker 3 in North Carolina. I-40 West is closed starting at mile marker 3 in North Carolina west through mile marker 435 in Tennessee.
There are no updates on Tennessee’s SmartWay or North Carolina’s DriveNC about the interstate’s repair timeline. Alternate routes are available to get around the I-40 closure, including Interstate 81 and U.S. Route 25E.
North Carolina’s Transportation Secretary said Oct. 1 the state is prioritizing interstates ahead of secondary routes and the severity of damage, which is high in the case of I-40.
“That’s a significant amount of damage and so even though it’s a top priority of ours, it will take a long time to fix that,” Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said Oct. 1. “We’re probably talking months at best. We’ve still got to evaluate that and do some assessments out there before we can determine what that solution is.”
Nagi said he thinks the misinformation may be “a placeholder” on Google’s part.
State routes in Tennessee begin to reopen
Following the damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene, roads and bridges around East Tennessee are being reopened.
Of the 47 originally closed state routes, 25 have reopened, according to a TDOT press release on Oct. 1. Seven of the 13 bridges originally closed also have been opened again.
However, five bridges around East Tennessee will remain closed for longer-term repairs.
- Washington SR-81 Nolichucky River Bridge
- Washington SR-353 Nolichucky River Bridge
- Greene SR-107 Nolichucky River Bridge
- Unicoi I-26 Bridge @MM 39.6 Eastbound
- Unicoi I-26 Bridge @MM 39.6 Westbound