HURRICANE FLORENCE: I-95 reopens to travelers in North Carolina

Interstate 95 through North Carolina has reopened to all traffic after being shut down for more than a week due to flooding from Hurricane Florence.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced the interstate’s reopening via a news release Sunday night.

“I-95 is a major artery for North Carolina and the entire East Coast that’s essential for commerce,” Cooper said in the release. “Our state DOT crews and engineers have worked around the clock to get this critical interstate open ahead of schedule and reduce traffic in areas still needed for critical life-saving missions.”

More than 450 roads throughout the Tar Heel State remain closed because of flooding or damage. The North Carolina Department of Transportation also announced that U.S.74 is now open from I-95 to Wilmington, and U.S. 70 is open from I-95 to the coast with one lane closed in each direction in Kinston. I-40 remains closed from N.C. 41 (Exit 385) to Wilmington.

As floodwaters recede, they can often leave behind debris or other storm detritus that can cause hazards for motorists. The Penderlea, N.C., volunteer fire department posted a video to its Facebook page showing firefighters hosing dozens of dead fish off I-40.

Travel in much of southeastern N.C. is still affected by flooding. NCDOT advises motorists to avoid unnecessary travel in the following counties:

• Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland due to the flooding and/or washout of multiple North Carolina and secondary routes.
• Bladen and Wayne due to the flooding and/or washout of multiple major travel routes

More travel information is available from NCDOT here.

In South Carolina, emergency flood mitigation efforts were underway on several highways. A total of 125 road closures are in effect due to Florence.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation reports that it is responding to widespread flooding across the northeastern portion of the state.

One lane is open in both directions on U.S. 501 Bypass in Conway. Flood mitigation barriers on U.S. 501 and U.S. 378 in Horry County are complete. Flood mitigation efforts in Georgetown on U.S. 17 due to the imminent threat of flooding are underway. Crews have begun to make repairs to damaged roadways where flood waters have receded, according to SCDOT.