A section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding will reopen to traffic on March 1. Gov.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pledges federal support to fully rebuild the highway through the Pigeon River Gorge between North Carolina and Tennessee.

Before leaving the governor's office, Roy Cooper stated in media interviews that Republican state legislators passed a bill that "actually took money away from western North Carolina." WFAE's Marshall Terry and WRAL's Paul Specht fact-check Cooper's claim.

Interstate 40 will reopen between Tennessee and North Carolina in just a few weeks. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein announced Feb 10 that I-40 along the Pigeon River Gorge will see traffic again March 1.

Josh Stein said Monday that the stretch of Interstate 40 connecting North Carolina to Tennessee will reopen in less than three weeks. This part of I-40, a major commercial corridor, has been closed for more than four months since Hurricane Helene devastated the area.