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DOT: I‑40 gorge reopening timeline uncertain; federal funding pause may delay repairs
Summary
Councilmember reports at the Waynesville Jan. 28 meeting said the I‑40 gorge may reopen temporarily to two lanes in the coming months but full reconstruction could take two to three years and cost about $2 billion for the Haywood County portion; speakers warned a recent judicial freeze on federal funding could delay projects statewide.
A councilmember who represents the town on the regional metropolitan planning organization told the Waynesville Town Council on Jan. 28 that progress on Interstate 40 through the gorge remains uncertain and that federal funding disruptions could slow statewide highway work.
The MPO representative said state officials are reluctant to give a firm timeline but are “hoping within the next few months to have 2 lanes open, with a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour through the gorge.” For full reopening and reconstruction, the speaker said the larger project timeline is roughly 24 months with potential for a three‑year schedule. Cost estimates given in the meeting for the Haywood County portion of the interstate work were about $2,000,000,000.
The speaker also warned councilors that a federal judicial action had temporarily frozen some federal funding and an executive order pause could affect disbursements to MPOs and other programs. He said federal agencies were required to submit information on impacted programs by Feb. 10 and that additional updates were expected over the coming days.
Council and staff noted other local infrastructure work is underway, including fabrication of steel for a Richland Creek site and active RFPs and interviews for recreation projects, but cautioned that creek conditions and weather can affect construction timing. Staff said the Richland Creek contractor expected onsite work to take about three weeks once materials arrive, but that stream flows could delay in‑stream work.
