The North Carolina Department of Transportation reports that Interstate 40 near the Tennessee state line (from Mile Marker 0-20) will be closed indefinitely. NCDOT reports that I-40 is closed in both directions for 43 miles between Exit 432 in Tennessee and Exit 20 in North Carolina.

A mudslide from Hurricane Helene flooding resulted in a partial collapse of the highway, a major thoroughfare through the Southern Appalachians.

Sections of Interstate 40 are still impassable and some areas are just completely gone. It will take a while to make repairs to the interstate, but it might not be as long as Google is predicting.