With thousands of miles of road damaged by Helene, NC lays groundwork for repairs
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have caused $9.8 billion in damage to western NC's transportation infrastructure. (Photo by Sean Rayford/)
North Carolina officials began meeting last week with interested contractors for road and bridge projects in western North Carolina — a first step in what will be an expensive, complex rebuild effort after Hurricane Helene.
A two-day event at the NC Department of Transportation's Asheville office gave contractors the opportunity to meet with state officials to pre-qualify for the department's contracts in the mountains.
"The amount of work that's going to have to be done, and is ongoing right now to continue to get everything restored — it's unprecedented," said Tim Anderson, an engineer with the DOT division covering Asheville and its surrounding area. "We know that the contract staff we have available to us in the mountains, and even from the eastern part of the state ... we still need more folks."
Gov. Roy Cooper's office estimates that Helene caused $9.8 billion worth of damage to the region's transportation infrastructure.
That includes 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads, and several major interstates and key corridors. Anderson's division has identified 3,000 "damage sites" where repairs are required.
In the weeks since the storm, DOT officials have prioritized tentative fixes to allow for emergency aid, as well as cataloguing damage. That meant cutting trees in the way of roads, setting up large pipes or temporary bridges, and pulling in initial contracts to reach more remote communities.
Now, with state money approved and flowing west , the department is preparing for full rebuilding — with an ambitious timeline.
"Our goal is to have 80% of these sites permanently repaired in about six months," Anderson said. "It's an aggressive goal. But it's a major impact to our region."
DOT announced Tuesday that traffic may be flowing in both directions on Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge near the Tennessee border by New Year's Day.
An already costly repair effort has been further complicated by the region's terrain, numerous bridges and private roads.
Landslides brought trees and soil down the mountains, ripping up roads and clogging pipes. Floodwater eroded banks and shoulders.
"It was definitely a different scenario than we've seen before," Anderson said.
Some projects could take longer than the estimated six-month timeline, he said — basins like Chimney Rock, as well as larger bridges.
As for privately owned roads and bridges? Anderson said the department was focused on those under the state's purview first and foremost. State officials and lawmakers have said they are looking for ways to help fund private repairs.
"Typically, the state does not take responsibility for private roads and bridges," budget director Kristin Walker told reporters in October. "After Tropical Storm Fred, the state did this on a smaller scale, with about 300 private roads and bridges. But we know that the need there is significant."
In the meantime, the vast majority of dollars that will fund road and bridge repairs will come from the federal government.
There are several sources the state is looking toward: FEMA's direct assistance program; a grant program for hazard mitigation projects; and other grant programs. North Carolina would likely be competing with other states impacted by Helene for those grants, but officials have expressed confidence that the state's needs are clear.
If Congress chooses to appropriate money to the program, the state could also apply for a community development grant program, which were used in recovery efforts after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
