27-05-2025
Damaged section of I-40 sees first traffic spike since reopening in March
HARTFORD, Tenn. (WATE) — With the long holiday weekend coming to an end, thousands took to the roads Monday to either kickstart their summer vacation or make their way back home. Regardless, Interstate 40 saw a healthy dose of traffic throughout the day, including an area still recovering from the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
For a time on Monday, the section of I-40 reduced to a single lane in each direction was extremely backed up. The Memorial Day holiday weekend provided the first major spike in traffic the road has seen since the road reopened in March.
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Around 5:00 p.m. Monday, the eastbound lane of I-40 in Tennessee was sitting at a standstill for close to 30 minutes as traffic was forced to merge into a single lane heading toward the state line. As for westbound traffic, it was smooth sailing near the Hartford exit, but it wasn't always that way for people coming from the Carolinas.
'I'm glad it's open, it was a little slower than I would hope but that's alright,' Jim Woodbridge, who was heading back home to Michigan after attending the NASCAR race in Charlotte over the weekend.
'This was worse than the traffic I encountered down there. We went down about a week early and I left mid-morning today,' Woodbridge said. 'My daughter was up from Atlanta and she's back home already.'
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This was Woodbridge's first time driving on this stretch of road since it reopened following Helene. The damage was nothing like he has ever seen.
'I want to say awesome, but in a bad way. The devastation, you can see all of that. I'm glad it wasn't life and limb in those down the creek, down the river,' Woodbridge explained. 'Those guys have a lot of work to do to get it back.'
While there is no timeline for when all lanes will be re-opened, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation's website, traffic is currently down to one lane in either direction for approximately 12 miles. They add, there are no exits for gas stations or convenience stores within that stretch and speeds will be posted between 35 and 40 miles per hour. In other words, expect delays during the summer driving season.
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Woodbridge also told 6 News he was hoping the weather would be a little bit better so he could see the Smoky Mountains. He added that he plans on getting home in the next day and a half or so.
The work zone extends from mile marker 446 in Tennessee to roughly mile marker 7 in North Carolina. Keep in mind, you can still take I-81 North to the Tri-Cities and then I-26 South to Asheville to avoid any possible delays.
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