Crews rebuilding I-40 to better withstand future hurricanes

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Now to Western North Carolina, where state transportation leaders say a major rebuild along I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge is moving forward, designed to better withstand future hurricanes.

[00:00:11]Crews are now sourcing local rock and turning it into road material as part of the long-term recovery in Western North Carolina. Engineers say this process involves crushing stone, mixing concrete, and rebuilding the road one layer at a time.

[00:00:26]>> Depending on the stockpile and how fast we need the material, the rock can go from the borrow site to the project as final concrete in a day, or it can be stockpiled for continuous use.

[00:00:36]>> Now that project won't be complete until the fall of 2028. The major corridor between North Carolina and Tennessee remains down to one lane in each direction.