The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has released video from Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge, showcasing the breadth of work done by the agency to fix and replace the highway that partially collapsed last fall due to Tropical Storm Helene.
NCDOT's video shows the causeway is now complete and ready for further repairs to the four-lane highway after its eastbound lanes were washed away during the storm's rampage.
Interstate 40, notorious for being closed in the steep valley because of rockfalls, was shut down for months after Helene's heavy rains caused flooding and landslides that heavily-damaged the road, wiping out portions of its westbound lanes.
Long-term repairs are estimated to cost more than $1 billion, according to NCDOT. To do the job properly, crews were required to construct the causeway, which the agency called "functionally complete" on July 22, as well as a temporary bridge and a haul road to move rock to the site from the Pisgah National Forest to complete the rebuild.
In mid-July, NCDOT also announced it had installed a series of monitors to gather real-time readings on potential earth movements on the freeway corridor after a nearby section of I-40 just across the border in Tennessee was flooded following a June landslide. The damage resulted in a nine-day highway closure through the Pigeon River Gorge, although that event did not impact Helene repairs.
Currently, the interstate is open with a reduced speed limit of 35 mph and one lane operating each way through the gorge. Only standard tractor trailers are allowed along the approximately 12-mi. stretch that connects Western North Carolina to Eastern Tennessee, and oversized loads are required to find alternate routes.
To watch the video, visit www.facebook.com/NCDOT/videos/1433656551003498
Ingles to Replace Swannanoa Grocery Store Damaged By Helene
Ingles, a Black Mountain, N.C.-based grocery store chain, confirmed to Buncombe County staff that it plans to build a new Swannanoa location, according to a county commissioner, providing the clearest details about the future of the store that has caused confusion and frustration among residents, the Citizen Times reported.
In a Facebook post from July 21, Buncombe County Commissioner Jennifer Horton said the company had met with county planning department staff and plans on rebuilding next to the old Ingles building "utilizing the space where the old post office and hardware store once stood."
No development plans have yet been submitted, according to the Buncombe County development portal.
The old Ingles building, located off U.S. Highway 70, was significantly damaged by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024 when the nearby Swannanoa River burst over its banks, inundating the entire community east of Asheville.
Despite the grocery chain indicating that it would rebuild, communication between Ingles and Swannanoa officials remained "sparse and unclear," according to the Citizen Times. As a result of the store's closure, some Swannanoa residents have been in a food desert since the hurricane.
An online petition encouraging more communication with the unincorporated community has garnered over 1,000 signatures.
With multiple locations in the area, Ingles lost an estimated $35 million in property and inventory during Helene and $55 million to $65 million in revenue in the three-week period immediately following the storm, according to filings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Six months after Helene, Ingles reported sales had decreased by $229.2 million, or roughly 8 percent.
In a quarterly report filed with the SEC on May 8, the company said stores closed by Helene "are expected to reopen at various times later during 2025 and 2026."
Horton told the Asheville newspaper that the new Ingles will include room for additional tenants and the current store will be converted "into space for up to three more businesses."
"While the construction timeline will be determined by Ingles and their contractors, [Buncombe County] does not anticipate any permitting delays," she said.
On July 22, Ingles spokesperson Pat Jackson confirmed the company's preparations for returning to Swannanoa.
"Plans are in the process of being approved for the new Ingles Swannanoa Valley shopping center. The project will include demolition of existing shops, raising the site elevation and construction of Ingles. We intend to get started as soon as we get final approval from the county," Jackson said.
