KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Flooding damage on Interstate 26 in northeast Tennessee likely will be repaired more quickly than that on Interstate 40 because it can be addressed more easily, state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey told WBIR.
The Knoxville Republican said work for I-26 would be let through an incentive contract that would encourage the bidder to receive bonuses for faster work.
"It could be pretty quick," perhaps a handful of months, said Massey, who chairs the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee.
I-40 is a trickier prospect. The damage is on the North Carolina side, but to fix it the North Carolina Department of Transportation will have to bring around its equipment from the Tennessee side because it can't get its equipment through the tunnel in North Carolina, she said.
"That one will take longer," Massey noted.
So far authorities have only said it'll be months to fix a washed out section of I-40 near the state lines.
Massey was among elected and state staff who toured damage sites this week in Unicoi and Greene counties. Flooding took out five bridges, four of which she viewed, she said.
Infrastructure damage from the remnants of Hurricane Helene is widespread and devastating in northeast Tennessee, she said, not to mention the toll on the population itself. The senator estimated the cost will be in the billions of dollars.
Debris also has been spread extensively after rainwater overwhelmed the Nolichucky River course.
"The amount of debris was amazing, and sorting through all of that -- they'll take it to a holding site where they'll sort it. You can't just burn plastic," she said.
The senator praised how quickly state transportation workers -- hundreds of them -- arrived to assess and begin addressing road needs in Unicoi and Greene counties. By Tuesday, multiple contracts already had been signed for road repairs and for debris removal.
"It's heartwarming to see all the people that are working, all the people reaching out to help," she said.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation announced Friday it had reopened SR350 in Greene County and SR 133 in Johnson County after repairs for storm-related damage. Other roads will need more time.
Florida's transportation department has offered to send a handful of their people up to Tennessee to assist with repair work, Massey said.
TDOT personnel are talking with their North Carolina and Georgia counterparts to share information on plans and progress.
