COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Tennessee transportation officials say significant progress has been made on rebuilding the stretch of Interstate 40 in Cocke County that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation provided an update this week on the massive reconstruction effort along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, where portions of the interstate were washed away during historic flooding caused by the storm.
According to TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi, crews have now installed more than 150 of the 173 trench boxes needed to construct retaining walls along the damaged corridor. Workers have also completed more than half of the micropiles required to stabilize the slope beneath the highway.
In addition, approximately 215,000 tons of rock have been transported to the project site to reinforce and support the roadway as rebuilding continues.
The interstate has operated with reduced capacity since Hurricane Helene struck the region in September 2024, causing catastrophic flooding and widespread damage throughout East Tennessee and western North Carolina. The storm washed away sections of I-40, forcing transportation officials to undertake a complex, multi-year reconstruction effort.
Nagi said TDOT remains on track to fully restore the Tennessee section of the interstate by the end of next year. Once completed, the roadway will reopen with two lanes of traffic in each direction through Cocke County.
However, reconstruction challenges remain on the North Carolina side of the state line, where damage was even more extensive.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation estimates its portion of the I-40 rebuild will cost more than $2 billion and is not expected to be completed until the fall of 2028.
Transportation officials have continued implementing additional safety measures along the corridor during the rebuilding process. Earlier this year, monitoring equipment was installed near the state line to detect earth movement and help engineers track slope stability in the mountainous terrain.
The I-40 reconstruction project has become one of the largest transportation recovery efforts in the region’s history, reflecting the scale of destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene.
As work continues, TDOT officials say motorists should expect ongoing construction activity in the area until the interstate is fully restored.
