North Carolina
Is I-40 still closed? Interstate 40 at Tennessee/North Carolina border to open this spring
After a months-long closure of Interstate 40 at the North Carolina and Tennessee state line, the highway is expected to reopen this spring.
I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge has remained closed since late September when Hurricane Helene ripped through the region, leaving mass devastation in the storm’s wake. Helene temporarily closed or damaged thousands of roads in both Tennessee and North Carolina. The storm triggered at least 10 collapses alone across a 9-mile stretch of I-40 in North Carolina.
Originally, the highway was going to reopen to traffic in “early 2025,” however, another chunk of the road fell away from an eastbound lane in December, further delaying the possibility of establishing the traffic flow so soon.
Once the highway is deemed safe, I-40 across the state line will reopen in directions, according to David Uchiyama, spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The heavily traveled four-lane highway will be reduced to just two narrowed lanes. This will accommodate eastbound and westbound traffic while leaving space for crews to work on long-term repairs with the goal of eventually opening the important route through the Appalachians.
Additionally, vehicles traveling through the gorge will have to obey a 40 mph speed limit. This logistical information has not changed since it was announced in November.
Commercial vehicles will be allowed to use the reopened highway, according to Uchiyama.
NCDOT and the Tennessee Department of Transportation are working together. Tennessee will open its side of the highway at I-40 Mile Marker 451 to the state line once North Carolina is “ready to handle traffic again,” according to TDOT spokesperson Drew Rutherford.
“TDOT and NCDOT have been and will continue to meet regularly to coordinate recovery efforts,” Rutherford said.
There will likely be congestion when I-40 reopens at the state line, according to Uchiyama. He “highly recommends” that drivers use an alternate route to travel between Tennessee and North Carolina.
A multiyear reconstruction plan for Interstate 40
To stabilize and reopen a portion of I-40 has taken NCDOT months. To fully repair I-40 at the gorge, it will take years, according to Uchiyama.
NCDOT hired Wright Brothers Construction, with GeoStabilization International as a sub-contractor, to stabilize the eastbound lanes, according to an NCDOT press release. Uchiyama said fully restoring I-40 could take “multiple years.”
“We are barely 10% into designing the reconstruction,” Uchiyama said.
Where is I-40 closed?
Still, you’re unable to drive across the Tennessee state line into North Carolina on I-40.
In Tennessee, there is one lane of traffic open in each direction between Mile Marker 446 and Mile Marker 451 at the state line. Commercial traffic cannot go any further than Mile Marker 440 on I-40 East, according to TDOT SmartWay.
The highway is closed in both directions from Mile Marker zero to 20 in North Carolina.
What part of I-40 collapsed due to Helene?
The initial partial collapse of Interstate 40 happened along the Pigeon River Gorge. Flooding from Tropical Storm Helene triggered a mudslide which caused part of the highway to collapse.
Following the devastating storm, I-40 East was closed from Mile Marker 432 in Tennessee until Mile Marker 3 in North Carolina. I-40 West was closed starting at Mile Marker 3 in North Carolina through Mile Marker 435 in Tennessee. Much of that highway stretch has reopened since.
How many people travel across I-40 at the gorge?
I-40 is a major thoroughfare through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The stretch of I-40 in North Carolina that was damaged by Helene supports about 7,610 trucks daily and a total average daily traffic of over 26,000 vehicles.
How long is I-40?
The highway is 2,559 miles long. It passes through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. Of that total, 455 miles of I-40 go through through Tennessee.
Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Myron Thompson contributed to this report.
North Carolina
OL Shavezz Dixon commits to North Carolina: ‘I know this is home’
Shavezz Dixon knew what he was looking for the second time around. The former Ole Miss offensive line commit out of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County reopened his recruitment earlier in the process, determined to find the right fit before making another college decision. After a strong push from North Carolina that began earlier this year, the three-star offensive lineman found exactly what he was looking for.
Now Dixon is headed to Chapel Hill.
“Development, the history behind Coach Belichick and just the atmosphere and campus environment,” Dixon said when asked about the biggest reasons behind his decision.
North Carolina offered Dixon in January after Bill Belichick, Michael Lombardi and Will Friend visited his school. They extended the offer, and from that point forward, the recruitment took off.
“It just skyrocketed from there with North Carolina. They were on me hard, and so consistent. Coach Lombardi and Coach Friend were great. “They were very straightforward with me and honest, so that put them high on my list.
“Out of all the colleges I’ve been to and talked to, they had the best plan for me to develop as a player.”
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The Tar Heels quickly separated themselves from the pack.
Florida State, Georgia Tech and Florida State all remained heavily involved, but a trip to Chapel Hill helped the Tar Heels win out.
“That visit in March changed everything. I talked to Coach Belichick a lot and Coach Friend, and it just felt right. Our relationships grew, the campus was awesome and I just liked the opportunity I saw there.”
Dixon excited about the staff he will play for in Chapel Hill
Development sat at the top of Dixon’s list.
So did the opportunity to play for one of the most accomplished coaches in football history.
Friend also played a major role.
“Coach Friend is a great coach,” Dixon said. “He’s very hands-on. He’s going to teach you. That’s why I feel like I can get developed by him. Some coaches want to yell and scream, but Coach Friend is about teaching his players. He has had success at different places and he is a great coach to learn from.”
The chance to play for Belichick added another layer to the decision.
“I know that the opportunities are there. I just have to go prove myself. He is a winner. Coach Belichick is one of the best.
“I feel like this year will definitely be a year they take it over the top and exceed expectations. There is no doubt that he will win at North Carolina.”
Dixon will be back in Chapel Hill June 12 for his official visit, and that will be the only one he takes.
“I have shut it all down,” Dixon said. “I know this is home. This is the place for me.”
North Carolina
Greenville man jailed for sex offender registration violation
GREENVILLE, N.C. — A Greenville man is being held without bond after authorities say he failed to report a change of address as required under North Carolina’s sex offender registry laws.
According to Pitt County court records, 66-year-old Charles Eugene Gardner was arrested June 4 and charged with felony failure to register as a sex offender.
Arrest warrants allege Gardner did not notify the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office within the required three business days after leaving his registered address on Ford Street in Greenville.
The charge stems from an alleged violation on May 26 and was filed June 2 following an investigation by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office.
Gardner remains in the Pitt County Detention Center without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, June 5.
North Carolina
Mom driving 111 mph crashes car with 3 kids inside, 2 killed, one in critically injured, NCSHP says
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — A child is fighting for his life after a deadly crash late Wednesday in Fayetteville that killed his two brothers, authorities said.
ABC11 has learned the children’s mother was driving 111 mph when the crash occurred, according to state troopers now leading the investigation.
The crash happened just before 11 pm on Cedar Creek Road after Fayetteville police attempted to make a traffic stop.
A North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) trooper said the mother sped off before losing control and crashing into a tree. None of the three children, all under 10 years old, was in a car seat, troopers said.
One neighbor, Sara Wallace, said she heard the crash unfold.
“To hear that there were children involved, it’s made it much more, as a mom, scary,” Wallace said.
Wallace, who lives less than a mile from the crash site, described the sounds she heard late Wednesday.
“Within seconds, it was the speed, the thud, and then silence,” she said.
“There was no squealing, there was no braking, there was no crying, there was no sound. And then. Shortly thereafter, all the sirens,” Wallace recalled.
When officers arrived, they found a white Kia had slammed into a tree. The third child, who was ejected from the vehicle, was rushed to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and later airlifted to UNC Hospital early Thursday morning.
At the scene, debris littered the roadside. “This is the aftermath. The bark stripped from the tree, a taillight, and debris everywhere,” one neighbor described.
Wallace noted the road’s curve can be dangerous at high speeds.
“It is a fairly gentle curve, but once you increase those speeds over that 55 miles an hour, it can be very easy to lose control,” she said.
The mother, who was also injured in the crash, is currently sedated at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and is expected to recover, officials said.
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The investigation remains ongoing.
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