U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pledges federal support to fully rebuild the highway through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

A section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding will reopen to traffic on March 1, Gov. Josh Stein announced Monday while visiting the roadway's shuttered portion and meeting with U.

At two heavily damaged sites in western North Carolina, state transportation officials are pulling out all the stops to reopen critical roadways.

Interstate 40 is set to reopen March 1, nearly six months after Hurricane Helene washed out parts of the highway in North Carolina and Tennessee with flooding and debris.

There's good news for Tennessee travelers: Interstate 40 will reopen between Tennessee and North Carolina in just a few weeks. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein announced Feb 10 that I-40 along the Pigeon River Gorge will see traffic again March 1.

As of Monday, I-40 remains closed from the Tennessee state line to Exit 20 (U.S. 276/Jonathan Creek Road). Since it will likely be many months before I-40 fully reopens, the state created a detour page to help people navigate the closure.

Josh Stein said Monday that the stretch of Interstate 40 connecting North Carolina to Tennessee will reopen in less than three weeks. This part of I-40, a major commercial corridor, has been closed for more than four months since Hurricane Helene devastated the area.