Flooding and a rockslide shut down a stretch of Interstate 40 between the Tennessee and North Carolina border according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The impacted area is near mile marker 450 along a route that was previously washed away when Hurricane Helene made landfall last September. Emergency repairs reopened parts of the interstate in February 2025, with one lane of travel each way.
By Wednesday afternoon, TDOT crews were on site removing rail barriers to allow struck vehicles to turn around. Mark Nagi, regional communications officer for TDOT’s Region 1, noted in a post on the X platform that motorists who want to access North Carolina should reroute via I-81 North to I-26 east.
For commercial vehicles, the I-40 route is one of the few designated truck routes for drivers crossing the Appalachians to reach parts of western North Carolina. TDOT advises fleets to not attempt to use TN Highway 441/ Newfound Gap Road, which runs through Gatlinburg and the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
Nagi added in a post, “Newfound Gap Road is a two-lane road with steep continuous grades and tight curves. There are no truck lanes, runaway truck ramps or places for a large commercial vehicle to slow down and pull over. US 441/Newfound Gap Road is not safe for large commercial vehicles.”
By Thursday morning, I-40 remained closed with TDOT crews on site assessing the interstate and adjacent slope. The designated detour to reach North Carolina remains I-81 North to I-26 East.
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