U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) had received permission from the U.S. Forest Service to take materials from the Pisgah National Forest to help rebuild roads in North Carolina destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
Duffy said the FHWA had cleared legal barriers to ensure the North Carolina Department of Transportation could acquire construction material from the forest sooner than anticipated. The materials were originally sourced from an area 20 to 50 miles away, which the DOT said would significantly increase project costs and slow rebuilding efforts.
Duffy’s office did not provide details on what materials were needed, how much would be saved or what legal barriers it had overcome, but said its efforts had delivered savings of two thirds in both cost and time and amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. On Tuesday, the US DOT said rebuilding the road would cost an estimated $1 billion.
Duffy said the FHWA and the U.S. Forest Service have worked in closely to accelerate the approvals, completing a task that typically lasts six months in just over a month. The DOT said the accelerated timely ensures NCDOT gains immediate access to material resources and will be able to begin construction operations at multiple material sites.
“This is another major milestone in the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts along I-40,” Duffy said. “I’m proud of the Department’s hard work to ensure North Carolina can access a critical resource to rebuild efficiently and safely. This is what the Trump administration is all about — cutting red tape, saving taxpayer dollars, and delivering real solutions for the American people.”
In September of last year, Hurricane Helene washed out 10 sections of the eastbound lands and shoulders along four miles of I-40 along the Pigeon River. Originally, NCDOT had requested access to multiple material sites by May 9 to support repairs to I-40. FHWA said the access would allow it to secure access to seven material sites and fast-track the overall timeline. The agencies are on track, Duffy’s office said, to meet the goal of transferring property rights to NCDOT as a way to ensure recovery efforts proceed.