Matthew’s Lingering Effects Have I-95 Closed in Much of North Carolina
“Safety remains our top priority as we work to address the damage caused by major flooding on roadways,” said North Carolina Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson. “While the storm has passed, many roads are still impassable, and conditions in some areas are worsening as floodwaters rise."
Crews and equipment are being shifted from western North Carolina to assist with recovery efforts in the areas impacted by the storm. More than 1,100 NCDOT employees, nearly 350 pieces of equipment and more than 630 chainsaws were being been utilized statewide.
“We continue to stress that motorists should not try to drive through flood waters,” Tennyson added.
Among the highways still out of commission is I-95 between Exits 13 and 31 and between Exits 58 and 73.
Travelers heading southbound on I-95 are advised to use the following detour: Exit 138-B for US-64 West, then take Exit 419 for I-440 West/US-1 South and proceed on US-501 South to rejoin I-95.
Travelers heading northbound on I-95 from South Carolina are advised to take the following detour: Take Exit 1 to US-501 North and continue to US-1 North and then to US-64 East to I-440 East to Exit 14 for US-64 East to rejoin I-95.
Also, I-40 West remained closed between Exit 341 (N.C. 55 in Newton Grove) and Exit 334 (N.C. 96 in Benson). Smaller highways remained closed in 25 North Carolina counties.
The news was better in South Carolina where all lanes of I-95 had completely re-opened Oct. 11. However, more than 400 of the state’s roads and bridges remained closed.
South Carolina Trucking Association President Rick Todd said his members “are all scrambling trying to catch up and many are dealing with tree trouble and water related problems. We still have a good number of road and bridge closures particularly in the Lowcountry [near Charleston] and the Pee Dee [the state’s northeast corner where some areas received upward to 15 inches of rain].”
