Motorists take to I-26 as section reopens following flooding

ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) – On Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced that a section of I-26 would reopen for local motorists .

At noon on Thursday, drivers could access the intersection from Erwin, Tennessee, to Asheville, North Carolina.

Parts of I-26 closed due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. The flooding brought piles of debris onto the road, making it unpassable.

“There was an extensive amount of debris,” said Steve Borden, Regional Director for TDOT. “Trees, large-scale debris. The river had deposited a lot of material on the roadway and damaged sections of roadways.”

TDOT started the clean-up process but brought in a contractor to assist.

“We brought on a contractor, Summers and Taylor,” said Borden. “To continue on with [clean-up] as well as rebuild the bridges that have been damaged. So it’s been a lot of debris removal, a lot of clean-up, and a lot of effort. And, you know, reconstructing little sections of roadway shoulders that have been damaged to get to the point that we could open it today and restore a portion of this vital link for this local traffic.”

The reopened section allows for easier travel between Tennessee and North Carolina. Borden said this is a milestone as the region moves forward in the recovery process.

“This is one step forward for that,” said Borden. “Being able to establish that local connectivity between those exits for people who live in that area, even around Unicoi County and Erwin.”

Borden said he is grateful to have played a hand in reconnecting the two states with another route.

“Many of these counties became islands unto themselves during this storm, this weather event,” said Borden. “And it’s rewarding to get those pieces back online.”

Sections of I-26 are still under construction in Erwin. Borden said they are actively working to reopen other sections.

“Hopefully within the next 30 to 45 days, we’ll have basically I-26 reconnected,” said Borden. “We won’t have two lanes in each direction, just have one lane in each direction. But that’ll give a vital link between Tennessee and North Carolina and certainly aid and recovery.”

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