NCDOT Selects Sites for Rock to Rebuild I-40
Interstate 40 recovery continues in the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County.
Donated photo
The N.C. Department of Transportation and its partners have selected two sites in the Pigeon River Gorge for extracting and storing material to help rebuild sections of Interstate 40 damaged by Hurricane Helene.
A nearly 33-acre site will be used to extract stone, and an adjacent 11.5-acre site will be used to store overburden material, which will be used to restore the larger site once construction is complete. The sites are located in the Pisgah National Forest, just across the river near the eastern end of the I-40 damage.
“The coordination between all agencies and stakeholders in the area has been tremendous and provides a great start to reconstruction of this critical corridor,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “This decision will have the lowest impact on the long-term health of the forest out of all the possible sites.”
The selection of these sites will reduce estimated construction costs and timelines compared to using rock materials from other locations farther away from the damaged section. Using these sites will also decrease travel times for I-40 drivers and increase safety by reducing the number of heavy trucks in the two-lane pattern.
To use stone from the nearby sites, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration received a temporary transfer of the land from the owner, the USDA Forest Service. A Special Use Permit from the Forest Service enabled NCDOT to test up to seven potential extraction sites and identify the most sufficient sites for helping rebuild the interstate. FHWA then issued a temporary easement allowing NCDOT to extract stone from these sites.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation is committed to helping North Carolina rebuild, and with this site selection we are one step closer to rebuilding I-40 at lightning speed,” said Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Thanks to our strong federal and state partnerships, we are delivering results in record time and accelerating Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. The people of western North Carolina deserve nothing less.”
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The site evaluation process included a thorough review and extensive field surveys of natural and cultural resources, avoidance and minimization efforts where feasible, site ingress and egress design refinements, and ongoing data analysis based on testing results and input from additional agencies and stakeholders.
While preparations for mineral extraction are underway, NCDOT, FHWA and the Forest Service are actively collaborating on a long-term plan to address forest restoration and wildlife habitat improvements once excavation is complete.
“The efforts to rebuild I-40 are critical to the long-term recovery of Western North Carolina, and when looking at the time and resources needed to get this work complete, sourcing material from the Pisgah makes the most sense,” said Forest Supervisor James Melonas with the National Forests in North Carolina. “Once this critical work is complete, we will have the opportunity to improve ecological resiliency through forest restoration, as well as improve game and aquatic habitats.”
Other agencies coordinating on reconstruction include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.C. Division of Water Resources and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
NCDOT and its contract partners worked through the winter to stabilize 10 locations along the 4-mile stretch and prepare the remaining two westbound lanes to carry one lane of traffic in each direction. Those lanes opened on March 1 to fanfare from both sides of the state line, reconnecting communities and long-range commercial transport while functionally completing temporary construction tasks.
Crews are currently completing a causeway adjacent to the river corridor. The causeway provides critical access to the base of the interstate for geotechnical data collection necessary to properly design the required retaining walls. The causeway will also allow the contractor, Ames Construction, to safely build the retaining walls without additional road or lane closures along the I-40 corridor.
Later this summer, once all permits are obtained, crews will build a temporary bridge across the river, improve a haul road and prepare the larger site for material extraction. Once crews are able to access the site, the rock removal and processing will begin for reconstructing I-40. Crews will utilize two different types of construction in the corridor: roller-compacted concrete walls and interlocking O-pile walls.
“We are pleased that we have reached another milestone on this long path to reconstruction,” Grindstaff said. “NCDOT and our partners will continue working in the Gorge and on designs to build the best facility possible.”
