KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee Department of Transportation has received $32 million in what federal officials called a “down payment” to support emergency road repairs in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration on Sunday announced that the $32 million in Emergency Relief “quick release” funds will be used by TDOT to begin restoring traffic on I-40, I-26, and other state routes damaged by flooding.
Months of closures expected after ‘historic’ damage to East TN roads: TDOT According to USDOT, the $32 million represents an initial installment of funds towards restoring critical connections to impacted areas and regional travel. Additional funds needed to repair damage in Tennessee will be supported by the Emergency Relief program through nationwide funding allocations.
“Hurricane Helene caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to our transportation network . We are grateful for the initial $32 million in Quick Release funds from the Federal Highway Administration to assist in our rebuilding,” TDOT Regional Communications Officer Mark Nagi said in a statement. “We look forward to further partnering with the federal government to get our network back to where it was before the storm.”
Roads, bridges impacted by floodwaters in East TN, western NC during Helene Historic rainfall from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene heavily damaged road infrastructure in in eight Tennessee counties. The damage resulted in the closure of I-40 and I-26 near the Tennessee/North Carolina stateline.
Nagi said Saturday that they aim to have one lane of I-40 in Cocke County open in each direction in the coming weeks.
While I-40 remains closed, non-commercial traffic is able to travel from Tennessee to North Carolina on US 441/ Newfound Gap Road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Because of an influx of “illegal, large commercial vehicles,” the National Park Service is temporarily closing Newfound Gap Road overnight between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Local News
