PIGEON RIVER GORGE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- It may be three more years before a section of I-40 near the Tennessee border fully reopens. Last year, two lanes were completely washed out by Hurricane Helene.

Queen City News rode with NCDOT crews for more than an hour Thursday – first on I-40, then next to it on a construction road that runs along the tunnels almost to Tennessee.

Division 14 Construction Engineer Josh Deyton said over the last year, crews had been constructing this causeway nearly 60 feet below the actual road to help them more easily bring materials in to reinforce and rebuild about five miles of road.

“Some of the early on stuff was the most challenging, you know, trying to figure out a design that would be resilient,” Deyton said. “Hopefully we can prevent what’s happ

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