Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited North Carolina and Tennessee to assess the damage along I-40 caused by Hurricane Helene and received an update on the ongoing recovery efforts from state and federal officials.
“Our hearts broke last year watching Hurricane Helene ravage the communities in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “When one part of our country hurts, our entire nation hurts and that is why it is my priority to help the people of North Carolina and Tennessee rebuild this critical highway, ensuring their communities stay connected to the rest of both states.”
During the visit, Secretary Duffy also announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and U.S. Forest Service have partnered in their efforts to help USDOT obtain a “Special Use” permit to use rock from Forest Service land and extract construction materials from the local river. This will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to get construction materials from a nearby river, just 1 to 3 miles away, instead of transporting them from 20 to 50 miles away, a process that would have tripled both the cost and duration of the project. This permit is a commonsense solution to reduce the time it would take to rebuild the highway and significantly cut down on costs.
“President Trump directed me to build infrastructure faster, better, and more affordably,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “That is why, when we recently identified a path to reduce I-40’s construction costs and timeline by as much as two-thirds of the original Biden-era estimate, I immediately asked my team what we could do to help. Today’s announcement will help ensure we deliver this critical project more efficiently for the American people. Too often, the federal government creates obstacles that slow recovery and drive up costs. This time, we’re cutting through those burdensome barriers to get the job done, ensuring USDOT’s full support for our state partner’s success every step of the way throughout this project.”
As repairs move forward, Secretary Sean Duffy reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring that red tape does not stand in the way of rebuilding efforts. The federal government will continue working alongside state and local officials to provide the necessary resources and streamline approvals to help these communities recover.