Gridlock troubles North Carolina roads amid I-40 closure

Traffic maps and motorists continue to see red in Asheville along Interstate 26 and the I-240 connector. When I-40 opens in March, traffic flowing through the area will be at reduced capacity, likely leading some to continue using alternate routes. News 13 investigates the closure's impact, the work underway to return some traffic and if that will ease congestion north of Asheville.

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[TLR]

How many people died? How many people are still living in tents? How many people don’t have a home? But the government isn’t fast enough to fix a road?

[GaryWoolard-exgj]

North Carolina is going to have to build a bridge for the no longer eastbound I-40 traffic because of that hurricane. This same scenario has happened on the "Going to the Sun Road" in Glacier National Park, Montana and also that happened on Red Mountain Pass, Colorado. Both happened because of either rock slides or erosion that busted out the lanes in each of these situations.

[KG-xtoq]

Traffic was like this long before Helene...

[enigma]

Permanent fix is "just two years away". What standard is she using? A real fix would be to reroute I40 and use a different pathway higher up (and safer) on the mountain.

[smarticus]

Whatever happened to the money from the 1 trillion dollar Infrastructure bill?

[tomtenbrunsel]

We can get to the moon and we can’t even fix a major trunk hywy in two years. WTF?

[ArtStoneUS]

"just 2 years away?" The temporary opening was supposed to be ready by January 1st, and here we are approaching the end of February with the date moved out to March

[TontonMacoute]

Silliest footage ever. The traffic is moving at a hell of a lick.

[dwjoseph]

Every big to decent to major sized north carolina city is growing. The tar hell state is one of the fastest growing states population wise in america right now!! This is why the highways are being built & upgraded; before & after the effects of helene. I call texas & north carolina "THE NEW & UPGRADED HIGHWAY STATES!!" The growth has arrived, might as well prepare for it folks!!

[gregoryhodge]

Come over to Newport Tn. Where the trucks are destroying the roads because they can't read snd won't take the route that they supposed to be taking.

[DeereX]

What do people expect after such a disastrous weather event as Helene? For a while it wasn't as big an issue because local traffic was almost nil due to the widespread road closures. Now that many secondary roads are functioning again, everybody thinks it should be normal everywhere. How do you think the truckers feel, having to take a huge detour to bypass the closed section of I-40 at the state line? I've never driven in the Asheville area prior to Helene when the sections of I-40 and I-26 weren't crowded, and the merge of the two interstates just west of Asheville have always been a traffic jam during rush hour. Just be happy you can still get from point A to B at all. FWIW I live an hour east of Asheville and travel I-40 regularly.

[johnharper]

I-40 should have never been built along that river. It has been closed before for landslides, etc. Putting good money down a rathole. There will be big $$$$ spent every time some new huge problem presents itself. The Rt. 25 from Newport east to I-26 should be rebuilt to replace the current I-40. Huge $$$, but well spent. No river to eat the road.

[GranthamShaw]

The North Carolina DOT spent over $245 million on the unnecessary new Interchange on I-40 and I-77 but they don't have a sense of urgency on repairs of I-40. WLOS, please continue to report on the lack of sense of urgency from the NC DOT!

[AdventureAwaits]

Why are they so hell bent on maintaining "the original footprint"?
I see a lot of hard headed engineers with a "hold my beer" type attitude.
I am a machinist. I know from my 20 year career, the engineers are book smart, but in REAL WORLD applications they leave a lot to be desired with their designs.
Two suggestions, MOVE THE ROAD for a long term solution, this will only continue to happen because mother nature is bigger than what man creates. Proven around the world when disasters strike!
Secondly, consult the mountain folk that reside here and have lived on family land for 200 years or more, they know what works and what doesnt in the mountains.
So, rather than letting ego stand in the way of progress, form a TEAM of different minds to come up with an out of the box solution that will last. (he says "I am confident" in the video...he is not confident 😂)

[deansawyer]

Asheville native of 53 years .. why are all these people coming here?

[FountainChannel]

almost like more public transit would help! the city is quite literally stangled by highways and adding more lanes like th 26 connector will only make it worse in the end

[kurtsherrick]

I was a OTR Driver hauling Cotton from Memphis and the surrounding Area. I went through the Gorge sometimes twice a day. The Gorge has been shut down for months in the middle 90's. It cost Owner Operators a fortune to take 81 to 77 South to 40 or going the Southern Route to Birmingham and threw Atlanta which I hated to 85N. We received a little extra money but the Extra Miles Cost much more than just fuel. This Helene Storm was helped by Geo Engineering. We have to stop HARP and the Airports that putting Chemicals in the Jets for the Chemtrails which is poisoning the Soil and Citizens. The Globalist are behind this and it it doesn't stop there is going to be Bloody French Style Revolution . Bill Gates and his Elk has to be stopped. They are intentionally killing us.

[leaveralone]

‘Long-term funneling of traffic to specific areas’. Special Forces Underworld Warfare. TN, KY, GA, NC, WV. ??? Surface-dwelling humanity remains oblivious to all of the action going on deep beneath their feet.

[HarleyDavidsonVince]

Get that place under control my Outer banks vacation is coming up!

[legendsatlunch]

Was that seriously 1.2 Billion to rebuild it.. Holy crap. China would build a 4 lane freeway with incorporated high speed mag lev rail for 10 Million.. 😁