Highway reopens following Hurricane Helene
As the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene continue, officials in Tennessee are reminding truckers that commercial vehicle bans on restricted roads are still being enforced.
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the U.S. National Park Service reopened U.S. 441, also known as Newfound Gap Road, which runs through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The highway serves as a connection between North Carolina and Tennessee.
Officials said that U.S. 441 had been closed following the storm due to “limited resources including fuel, which the park had been reserving for emergency response.” The park also has limited staffing, with some employees assisting with recovery in other areas.
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, damage from the hurricane has limited travel in much of the western portion of North Carolina, leaving both Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 impassable. These are the main corridors connecting Tennessee to the Tarheel State.
With truckers looking for alternate routes to cross between the two states, the park service issued a reminder that commercial vehicle traffic is prohibited on the recently reopened U.S. 441, as well as in most of the national park.
“While the NPS recognizes that major routes outside the park are currently closed, park roads are not structurally designed to sustain traffic from heavy vehicles,” a statement from the agency said. “Commercial vehicles will be turned away.”
As for now, the North Carolina DOT is telling motorists to use Interstate 77 north to connect to Interstate 81 into Tennessee as a detour for passing between the two states.
States continue to recover from Hurricane Helene
According to a report from NBC News, the death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached more than 200, making it the deadliest storm to hit the country since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Ahead of the storm, officials in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee declared a state of emergency in their respective states as they braced for Helene.
More details on emergency declarations – and on waivers for drivers assisting with the recovery efforts – can be found here. LL