US Transportation Secretary hopes to have flood-struck interstates partially opened soon

COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Tennessee on Thursday to assess reconstruction efforts and see firsthand the damage Hurricane Helene left in its wake.

Buttigieg was in Cocke County to see the damage to Interstate 40 and spoke to members of the media. News Channel 11 streamed his comments, which can be viewed above.

The Transportation Secretary spoke with members of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) at Exit 440 along I-40 East. The interstate has remained closed in the area after the Pigeon River washed part of it away.

In Unicoi County, another key passageway between Tennessee and North Carolina was also washed away at the I-26 bridge over the Nolichucky River. Buttigieg said the damage to both interstates has created a unique challenge.

“It’s critically important for everything from U.S. supply chains to small mountain communities to get that back up,” Buttigieg said. “I’m very impressed by the work that I’ve seen on the ground and creativity, the work ethic, and the energy that’s going into restoring a critical link like this.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has already committed $32 million to recovery efforts in Tennessee following the devastating flooding. However, Buttigieg said on Thursday that was only the beginning of relief funding.

“We know that the ultimate price tag just on the transportation side alone will be in the billions, and we cannot get that done without help from Congress,” Buttigieg said. “So we’ll be looking to make sure that that happens as soon as possible.”

His hope is that Congress will quickly work and vote in a bipartisan fashion to support flood relief in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, where he began his tour of the damage on Thursday.

“We’re going to do everything we can, starting with the $32 million that we’ve already advanced toward getting the first pieces of this work done.”

A portion of I-26 reopened to local traffic only on Oct. 10. Buttigieg and TDOT leaders aid they hope to have at least one lane in each direction open along both I-26 and I-40 in the coming weeks.

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