Flooding and rock slides close heavily damaged I-40 section in Smoky Mountains

A section of Interstate 40 through the Great Smoky Mountains has been closed again due to heavy rain, flooding, and a rockslide near mile marker 450 in Tennessee. Engineers found extensive damage to the highway and ramps, with compromised slopes still underwater. Repairs are expected to take at least two weeks, with a long-term fix projected to take years. The closure affects a stretch already damaged by flooding during Hurricane Helene, the Associated Press has reported. The official detour reroutes traffic via I-26 and I-81, as trucks are banned on other nearby mountain roads.