State Route 91 reopens in Johnson County

MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Numerous roads across Northeast Tennessee have been closed for weeks following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. But on Friday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) celebrated a small victory in Johnson County.

After weeks of work, State Route 91 from Mountain City to Damascus was re-opened, reconnecting the two communities.

“This is a significant step forward,” said TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “And just a small celebration to be able to come out today and see a road back open that’s been closed.”

Eley said the decision to prioritize this road came down to the importance to the communities it serves.

“Connectivity is kind of the main thing,” said Eley. “Areas that are disconnected and the ability to get it delivered in a quick time period.”

State Route 91 was just one of many roads closed and in need of repairs across the region. Eley said TDOT is committed to getting those roads open as soon as they can.

“We’ve got two interstates where we’ve had closures on I-26, as well as I-40,” said Eley. “And we’re trying to get those open again, at least a one-way traffic back and forth. And we’re looking to do that very quickly in the coming days and weeks.”

Eley acknowledged there is a lot of work left to be done in the region. Eley said TDOT will continue to work on the roads as much as they are able.

“Whether it’s planning and pre-construction activity that’s going on, there’s still a lot of debris removal that has to be moved in some cases before some of the work is done. But we’re doing all that simultaneously and will continue to do that.

TDOT officials said the work on the section of SR 91 will continue as they look to have guardrails put back up.

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