Gov. Lee tours washed-out stretch of I-40 in Cocke County as work begins to reopen lanes

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee took a tour of I-40 in Cocke County on Monday to observe the heavy damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

Sections of I-40 are closed, including between mile marker 447 and mile marker 451 to the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. Lee, along with other state and federal lawmakers, toured the stretch to continue to assess the damage where parts of the eastbound lane were washed away by floodwaters.

Lee said they aim to have one lane in both directions on this stretch of the highway by the end of next week. A timeline for a permanent fix has not yet been determined.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation received over $30 million dollars from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration to help with those repairs.

Lee emphasized the importance of opening this section of the highway again.

“There’s a tremendous need for our roads to be repaired,” Lee said. “TDOT has been on the ground in force for the last week. Things are already under contract already underway as you can see work being done to turn this interstate into at least a two-lane road temporarily until permanent fixes are made. A lot of work being done. Very hopeful. Very collaborative.”

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