Repaired. Replaced. Reopened. Hit hard by Helene, this is what paved the way for these NC roads to come back.
by Lucas Thomae, Carolina Public Press February 19, 2025
Roads are being rebuilt and bridges resurrected, but motorists are still struggling to traverse Western North Carolina.
That may not be for much longer though, as the state’s transportation department is slowly but surely progressing with recovery efforts.
Tropical Storm Helene’s devastation included more than 600 roads and 800 bridges primarily in the western part of the state. The latest data from the N.C. Department of Transportation shows that 160 roads remain closed — 30 highways and 130 secondary roads.
The task of repairing and reopening North Carolina’s roadways after the severe storm has been a tall order for the transportation department, which maintains more than 80,000 miles of roads. That’s more than any other state except Texas.
Still, repair projects are moving along, and rather quickly considering the wide-ranging damage.
Last week, Gov. Josh Stein highlighted the progress during a press conference in the middle of a closed section of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border. Stein declared the vital thoroughfare would be partially reopened on March 1.
The announcement corresponded with a visit from new U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who came to the area to survey the damage. Duffy’s visit was significant because North Carolina is hoping to secure more federal funds to help pay for storm recovery efforts. Helene was a $60 billion disaster, and so far the money allocated by the state and federal governments to pay for it has amounted to far less than that, Carolina Public Press has reported.
While the power to approve new funding lies primarily with Congress, Duffy has promised to support North Carolina’s reconstruction efforts and cut through “red tape” as transportation secretary.
“It is clear to me that (Duffy) intends to help,” Stein said in a statement after the visit.
One of the most crucial roads still out
The largest of the roads to still be closed is a section of I-40 that was washed away by the rising waters of the Pigeon River.
It’s a portion that stretches from the Tennessee border to exit 20 in Haywood County, near the town of Clyde. After five months of no traffic, one lane on each side of the interstate will reopen on March 1.
“Reopening these lanes will help reconnect North Carolina and Tennessee and allow us to welcome back visitors to bolster the economy,” Stein said.
The section could previously accommodate an average of 26,500 vehicles per day, according to the state transportation department. The department isn’t sure how many cars the two lanes will be able to handle once they are reopened.
Damage from Tropical Storm Helene along Old Toe River Road near Newland, seen on Oct. 17, 2024. Much of the road parallels the North Toe River. Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press
However, alternate routes into Tennessee such as U.S. Route 25 have already been reopened and could ease congestion on that part of the interstate.
Meanwhile, Duffy revealed during his visit that the U.S. Department of Transportation acquired a special permit that will allow North Carolina to use rock from the Pisgah National Forest and extract construction materials from the nearby Pigeon River to help in the reconstruction process.
Allowing the state to do this, rather than transporting materials from up to 50 miles away, could significantly cut down on time and costs, Duffy said.
Expect delays
While the partial reopening of I-40 marks a major milestone, the storm’s damage extends far beyond that stretch of highway. Across North Carolina, affected roadways remain in various stages of repair with no clear end date in sight.
In total, the state transportation department identified a whopping 9,400 sites damaged by Helene, ranging from small back roads and culverts to larger highways and bridges.
So far, crews and contractors have completed repairs on about a quarter of the damaged bridges. However, 139 bridges still need to be entirely replaced.
Although crews have completed the emergency repairs needed for residents to access their neighborhoods, the state is still designing plans and awarding contracts for most permanent repairs of roadways.
While the state hopes to have all affected roadways reopened to motorists in the first half of this year, officials are not putting any hard deadlines on reconstruction plans.
“With so many sites, so many roads and so many variables, it’s impossible to hit a precise mark,” said David Uchiyama, a spokesman for the transportation department.
Down the road
While the total bill for Helene recovery is estimated to be $60 billion — with transportation infrastructure repairs comprising about $5 billion — the true cost won’t be realized until potentially years down the road. That’s when all the contracts have been awarded and the reconstruction projects completed.
The transportation department can’t pay for the needed repairs by itself, but isn’t strapped for cash either. A state audit released in January found that the agency significantly underspent during its previous annual budget and should be in a solid position to fund recovery efforts.
However, transportation officials are also asking both the state legislature and the feds to help with expenses.
Since the storm, the Federal Highway Administration has given $412.8 million to North Carolina across six waves of emergency relief funding. That money was used for repair projects including I-40 near the Pigeon River Gorge.
The state legislature approved nearly $1 billion in disaster relief across three spending bills last year.
After taking office, Stein requested more than $1.1 billion in additional relief from the freshly-convened General Assembly.
A spending bill that was recently filed by House Republicans proposed to allocate half the amount Stein requested.
SUMMARY: Concerns have arisen in Holly Springs over a new development of 120 homes near local schools on Avent Ferry Road. Parents fear increased traffic poses a safety risk for children walking to school, with many advocating for road widening due to peak travel congestion. Despite local opposition, the town council approved the project, arguing it is lower density and age-restricted, which they believe will generate less traffic. Residents expressed disappointment, emphasizing safety needs before development progress. The developer is required to align an intersection and enhance crosswalk visibility, with homes anticipated to be completed by mid to late 2027.
Neighbors in Holly Springs are concerned about a new development that the Town Council approved Tuesday night.
SUMMARY: Lawmakers in North Carolina are advancing House Bill 297, aimed at requiring insurance coverage for additional breast cancer screenings, like ultrasounds, alongside routine mammograms. This bipartisan-supported legislation addresses significant financial barriers faced by women, particularly those at high risk. Survivor Cara Hume emphasizes the burden of out-of-pocket costs, personally paying over $1,000 for annual MRIs. While the bill’s quick passage through the house health committee is promising, concerns linger over stalled similar legislation in the Senate. Advocates urge North Carolina to follow the lead of 27 other states that have already implemented such measures for better cancer care access.
House Bill 297, which has garnered bipartisan support, passed unanimously in the House Health Committee and seeks to ensure that diagnostic and supplemental breast exams are covered to the same extent as mammograms.
www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-18 16:10:00
(The Center Square) – North Carolina agencies would have to get legislative approval for any new regulation that would have more than $1 million in economic impact under bills introduced Friday in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The legislation is part of a nationwide push by conservative groups such as Americans for Prosperity to stop unelected state agency leaders from raising costs for businesses by adding new regulations.
“The NC REINS Act is about giving the people of North Carolina a stronger voice in the rules that shape their lives,” state Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, in a news conference Tuesday. “Right now, unelected bureaucrats can impose regulations with major financial consequences without direct oversight from the General Assembly. The current process is not transparent. We can do better.”
This is not a new issue, Dalton Clark, legislative liaison for Americans for Prosperity said Tuesday.
“It’s something that has been debated several times at the General Assembly,” Clark said. “I think the No. 1 question we’ve got is ‘Why now?”
The legislation now has “overwhelming” bipartisan support, Clark said. A poll shows 80% support for the bill, he said.
Donald Bryson, CEO of the Locke Foundation, said his organization has been pushing for this type of legislation for a decade.
“This is about good governance overall and reinstating accountability and transparency to democratic governance,” he said. ”At what point does a rule or regulation that’s created become so large that it in fact should be a law?”
The proposal “clarifies this strange gray area,” Bryson said.
Similar legislation is pending in at least a dozen states, including Georgia and South Carolina, said Jaimie Cavanaugh, legal policy counsel at Pacific Legal Foundation. Wyoming passed a bill this year, she said.
The Center Square was unsuccessful getting comment from Gov. Josh Stein’s office before publication.
Some legislative critics of the proposal have said that the proposal could be dangerous because it would create an extra layer of approval for regulations aimed at protecting public health.