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IS I-40 OPEN YET?

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PAUL161

PAUL161

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Is I-40 fully open west of Asheville? I've been running the southern route , as I don't want to chance that 140+ mile detour. Thanks in advanced. PJ
 
Me, too...I'm driving to Asheville in the MGC on Tuesday.
 
Just went on to the North Carolina DOT site:

https://www.ncdot.org/travel/i40_rockslide/

The detour has ended. Travelers can head east and west once again on I-40 through the Great Smoky Mountains. Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane are now OPEN and BACK IN BUSINESS!

As NCDOT continues to make road safety improvements:

One westbound lane of I-40 will be closed for a few miles
On some Sunday mornings, traffic may be stopped for about thirty minutes.
For updates call 511 or visit https://ncdot.gov/travel/
 
East bound both lanes are open but west bound only one lane is open at the slide area... The single lane is for about a mile and traffic at times can be slow traveling west.
 
Clarksville's not far from Nashville, on I-24. If you find your way up here, be sure to make a coffee stop - my treat!
 
Any good routes to avoid the westbound traffic on my trek home? I already assume that "the earlier departure time the better". I have about a nine-hour trip as it is.
 
rick_ingram said:
Any good routes to avoid the westbound traffic on my trek home? I already assume that "the earlier departure time the better". I have about a nine-hour trip as it is.
Click to expand...

As far as Tennessee goes, the route across the center of the state is either I-40 or US 70, which turns southerly on the west side of Nashville. So I-40 is the quickest.

You do have the time change west of Knoxville in your favor - one-hour bonus!

Time to avoid in Nashville is the 3:00-6:00pm. If you do find yourself there those hours, heading west, Briley Parkway is your best bet; circles around the northern side and dumps out on either 24 or 40 on the west side.
 
Personally, my trip won't take me near Nashville. We'll head towards Indy then down I-65 to Cincinatti then I-75 to Lexington and across to Knoxville where we pick up I-40.

(I drove to Gatlinburg numerous times from 2004-2006 during the planning stages of MG2006.)

I'm concerned about slow stop and go/stopped traffic in the MGC...she gets HOT rather rapidly...If I can find a route that will help eliminate this possibilty, I'll take it!

The NC DOT advises that on Sunday(s), there can be up to 30 minute delays on westbound I-40....I'm planning on leaving town EARLY...but...well....you know.
 
I traveled to Gatlinburg, TN today on I-40 both east and west. The single lane is now approximately 5 miles long west bound at the slide area road construction. At 9:15am the traffic flowed at 50 mph and no stopping. On my return trip this afternoon going east the west bound side was very congested at the slide area… The traffic was at a crawl. I would suggest an early start on Sunday…
 
Out of Asheville next Sunday at o-dark-thirty it is!
 
Both Eastbound lanes of I-40 are open at the Tennessee/NorthCarolina border.

Only one lane is open (for the last six miles) on the westbound lanes of I-40 in North Carolina. Tennessee is fine.

I drove this road on Tuesday (eastbound) and will be driving it westbound on sunday morning.

Expect delays westbound if you're not on the road early in the morning or late in the day.
 
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