RALEIGH (WFMY) - North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that Interstate 95 in North Carolina has completely reopened Sunday night.
The state said the floodwaters that covered I-95 after Hurricane Florence receded quicker than expected, allowing DOT crews to make the necessary repairs and inspections to reopen the road. A stretch of I-95 closed in the southeastern part of the state around Lumberton after Florence made landfall on Sept. 14.
“I-95 is a major artery for North Carolina and the entire East Coast that’s essential for commerce,” Cooper said. “Our state DOT crews and engineers have worked around the clock to get this critical interstate open ahead of schedule and reduce traffic in areas still needed for critical life-saving missions.”
As of Sunday night, there were still 455 road closures in North Carolina. Cooper said drivers should still be careful navigating the southeastern area of the state, where most of the closures remain. I-40 is still closed from NC 41 (Exit 385) to Wilmington according to the NC DOT. The DOT has offered these three detours to Wilmington:
- From the south, take U.S. 17
- From the north, travel on Interstate 40 East to N.C. 24 East (exit 373), then onto U.S. 17 South
- From Fayetteville, take N.C. 87 to U.S. 701 South to N.C. 211 East to U.S. 74 East