United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, left, speaks to, from left, State Sen. Steve Southerland, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley and others.
United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, left, speaks to, from left, State Sen. Steve Southerland, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley and others.
The United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was part of a delegation that visited Interstate 40 in Cocke County Monday morning to discuss reconstruction efforts in the wake of the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September of last year.
Duffy was joined by U.S. Sen Bill Hagerty, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley, State Sen. Steve Southerland and others as the delegation got an update on the work being done on the Tennessee side of the state line.
Duffy told the group he would make getting I-40 69制片厂制作传媒 as well as I-26 in Northeast Tennessee repaired because both are main corridors of commerce for the nation.
Hasrbarger added that the storm has been the nation69制片厂制作传媒檚 most costly in terms of replacing lost structures and infrastructure.
She said her message to Duffy and others like Vice President JD Vance has been simple.
69制片厂制作传媒淒on69制片厂制作传媒檛 forget us,69制片厂制作传媒 she said, adding the hope is the federal government will be quick to reimburse Tennessee for the money already spent in storm recovery and repair. .
She said she knows the North Carolina side of the mountains was devastated and requires a lot of federal money but it69制片厂制作传媒檚 important that Tennessee is taken care of as well.
69制片厂制作传媒淭here69制片厂制作传媒檚 a lot of devastation in my district,69制片厂制作传媒 she said.
Large sections of I-40 69制片厂制作传媒 as well as roads and bridges in Western North Carolina and Northeast Tennessee 69制片厂制作传媒 were washed away in the historic storm and flooding that claimed 230 lives as it made its way up through Florida and Georgia into North Carolina and Tennessee.
About three weeks after the storm, TDOT was able to open a single line on I-40 for local traffic to the state line. But work will continue and could last another year on the Tennessee side.
Work on the interstate was delayed in December due to an additional slide in the area, claiming another chunk of the roadway.
North Carolina officials have indicated that the roadway will be reopened with one lane traffic each way and a 40 MPH speed limit by March 1.
The trip was Duffy69制片厂制作传媒檚 first official one since being confirmed to office. After stopping in East Tennessee, he was moving on to North Carolina.
Harshbarger said that before he left he said he understood that it was important to get funds to Tennessee quickly and efficiently and he promised to that.
Harshbarger pointed to the coming rains this week 69制片厂制作传媒 in which parts of the area could get up to 8 inches of rain 69制片厂制作传媒 and said that69制片厂制作传媒檚 why it69制片厂制作传媒檚 important to get the work done as quickly as possible.
Until the infrastructure is repaired and rivers and lacks are cleared, any flooding that occurs can represent a setback in recovery efforts, Harshbarger said.
Once repairs are done using innovative techniques that have worked in other places, the region will be better equipped to handle heavy rains and flooding.
But, Harshbarger said, there is a lot of work left to do.
69制片厂制作传媒淚t69制片厂制作传媒檚 crazy how far they69制片厂制作传媒檝e come and how far they have still to go,69制片厂制作传媒 she said.
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