North Carolina Construction News staff writer
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited North Carolina last week to assess damage along I-40 caused by Hurricane Helene and receive an update on the recovery efforts from state and federal officials.
“Our hearts broke last year watching Hurricane Helene ravage the communities in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee,” Duffy said. “When one part of our country hurts, our entire nation hurts and that is why it is my priority to help the people of North Carolina and Tennessee rebuild this critical highway, ensuring their communities stay connected to the rest of both states.”
During the visit, Secretary Duffy also announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and U.S. Forest Service have partnered in efforts to help USDOT obtain a “Special Use” permit to use rock from Forest Service land and extract construction materials from the local river.
This would allow the use of construction materials from a nearby river, just one to three miles away, instead of transporting material from 20 to 50 miles away, a process that would have tripled both the cost and duration of the project. This permit is needed to reduce the time it will take to rebuild the highway and significantly cut down on costs.
“President Trump directed me to build infrastructure faster, better, and more affordably,” Duffy said. “That is why, when we recently identified a path to reduce I-40’s construction costs and timeline by as much as two-thirds of the original Biden-era estimate, I immediately asked my team what we could do to help.
“We’re cutting through those burdensome barriers to get the job done, ensuring USDOT’s full support for our state partner’s success every step of the way throughout this project.”
As repairs move forward, Secretary Sean Duffy reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring that red tape does not stand in the way of rebuilding efforts.
“I am proud of NCDOT’s focus on this challenge and the roadworkers who have worked tirelessly to reopen roads and keep people safe,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said in a statement. “Reopening these lanes will help reconnect North Carolina and Tennessee and allow us to welcome back visitors to bolster the economy.”
Hurricane Helene caused the Pigeon River to wash away major portions of the I-40’s eastbound lanes, which left the interstate impassable in four sections. A contractor is now working on a stabilization project to secure the westbound lanes on I-40.
“I expressed my appreciation for U.S. DOT’s partnership and emphasized that there are billions of dollars of work still to do to get people safely back on the roads,” Stein said. “I look forward to working with Secretary Duffy and our federal partners to ensure we have the resources we need to rebuild our infrastructure as quickly as possible.”