KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The United States Department of Transportation gave Tennessee around $32 million to repair bridges and roads damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Kristin White, the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, which is acting as a middle-person between U.S. DOT and Tennessee, visited a stretch of damaged I-40 in Cocke County with Governor Bill Lee Monday afternoon. White said the funding is the beginning of repair efforts.
"We, over the weekend, rushed funding to you all, to fund 100% of the state's request for relief, which is just a down payment on what we are going to do moving forward," she said.
She described seeing the wreckage Helene had left behind as heartbreaking. Staff from the federal administration have been on the ground working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and local crews for the past week, she said.
Contractors have built a new concrete median on the right-hand side of eastbound Interstate 40. Lee said it'll allow two-way traffic to begin again sometime next week.
Lee, White and other leaders spoke at a press conference between the new median and a destroyed section of the interstate. As White stated the federal government's commitment to Tennessee, Lee said his visits to affected areas have assured him that the Volunteer spirit is in full swing as relief efforts enter their second week.
"It is inspiring. Nothing short of inspiring," he said.
He highlighted Bristol Motor Speedway's decision to become the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center as a positive sign for community-centered recovery. Ongoing efforts from all levels of government are also a reason to be optimistic.
Standing on a stable spot along I-40, though, he said complete recovery is still somewhere down the road.
"It's very difficult to assess the extent of the damages and how long that'll take," he said.
I-40's recovery also depends on repairs in North Carolina. WBIR contacted the NCDOT for comment but hadn't heard back by publication.