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    • Interstate 40 collapses on the Tennessee-North Carolina border near Gorge
    New Jersey

    Interstate 40 collapses on the Tennessee-North Carolina border near Gorge

    Seren Anwen Posted on

    Interstate 40 is closed at the Tennessee-North Carolina border near the Pigeon River Gorge after flooding and a mudslide overtook the highway.

    According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the interstate, a major thoroughfare through the southern Appalachians, is closed in both directions.

    I-40 East is closed from Mile Marker 432 in Tennessee to Mile Marker 3 in North Carolina. I-40 West is closed from Mile Marker 3 in North Carolina to Mile Marker 435 in Tennessee.

    According to Kelse Edwards, communications director for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, a mudslide on the North Carolina side led to a partial collapse of the highway. 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 using drones today to survey the extent of the damage because the roads are unsafe, according to Edwards.

    According to Mark Nagi, regional communications officer for TDOT, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will continue to assess damage on its side of I-40, including near the border and in Cocke County, where the highway was also closed due to flooding.

    Stay off the streets if you can. They may still be unsure

    Due to damage on I-40 and all roads in East Tennessee, the Department of Transportation and State Highway Patrol are urging motorists to stay home.

    “Drivers must exercise extreme caution and be aware that infrastructure could potentially be damaged,” Lt. Bill Miller, public information officer for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. “I mean bridges, overpasses and roads that could be partially undermined and weakened on the surface.”

    Alternative routes

    I-40 is a busy highway that regularly carries 24,000 vehicles between North Carolina and Tennessee. The transportation departments of both states are working to find other routes.

    Tennessee shares alternate routes via SmartWay. Nagi said more detailed routes will be determined in the next few days. Flood warnings remain in effect across the area as rivers are just beginning to recede.

    More major road damage in East Tennessee

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    Seren Anwen
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