Interstate 40 is closed at the Tennessee-North Carolina border near the Pigeon River Gorge after flooding and a mudslide overtook the highway.
The interstate, a major thoroughfare through the Southern Appalachians, is closed in both directions, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
I-40 East is closed from Mile Marker 432 in Tennessee until Mile Marker 3 in North Carolina. I-40 West is closed starting at Mile Marker 3 in North Carolina through Mile Marker 435 in Tennessee.
A mudslide on the North Carolina side resulted in a partial collapse of the highway, according to Kelse Edwards, a communications director for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Photos of the dramatic collapse circulated on social media.
There is no timeline for how long it will take to assess the damage or repair the roadway.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin to investigate the scope of the damage today using drones since the roads are unsafe, according to Edwards.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation will continue to assess the damage on its side of I-40, including near the border and in Cocke County, where the highway was also closed for floods, according to Mark Nagi, regional communications officer for TDOT.
Stay off the roads if you can. They may still be unsafe
Due to the damage on I-40 and all roads in East Tennessee, the Department of Transportation and State Highway Patrol is urging drivers to stay home.
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“Drivers need to use extreme caution, and the drivers need to be mindful that the infrastructure could possibly be damaged,” said Lt. Bill Miller, Tennessee Highway Patrol public information officer. “I’m referring to bridges, overpasses, and roadways, which could partially be washed way underneath and weakened on the surface.”
Alternate routes
I-40 is a heavily trafficked highway that regularly sees 24,000 vehicles crossing between North Carolina and Tennessee. Both state’s departments of transportation are working to find another routes.
Tennessee is sharing alternate routes through SmartWay. Nagi said more detailed routes will be determined over the next few days. Flood warnings remain in place across the area as rivers are just now beginning to recede.
More major road damage in East Tennessee
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Interstate 40 collapses at the Tennessee-North Carolina border near Gorge
