Roads & Bridges Took A Beating

Entire bridges were damaged, much like this span at Mountain Paradise Campground.

By Jamie Kritzer | NC Dept. of Transportation

Helene left unprecedented damage in Western North Carolina when it hit Sept. 26-27. Transportation crews have nearly completed operations using chainsaws to cut and move debris to the shoulders to reopen roads.

Those “cut-and-shove” crews have created more than 4,100 debris sites on roadsides, while almost 7,000 locations have been pinpointed for eventual road repair.

Damage estimates from what we have been able to assess to this point are up to several billion dollars and we’re not done,” said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. “The damage to our roads and bridges is like nothing we’ve ever seen after any storm, and this will be a long-term recovery operation.”

Raging waters chewed away numerous chunks of Interstate 40, the vital artery between
Asheville and Knoxville, Tenn.