HARTFORD, Tenn. (WATE) — A previously closed portion of Interstate 40 reopened with one lane going in each direction at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line on Saturday. This comes five months after the interstate was severely damaged during Hurricane Helene.

Those driving on the interstate couldn’t help but notice how narrow lanes are — a result of ongoing road repairs. Many travelers were impressed by the extensive work completed by the highway departments of both states.

“They did a great job with the traffic. I think the lanes are a little narrow for my taste. But, you know, you got to do what you got to do. And you can see all the damage on the inside. But they did a fantastic job from what we could tell, engineering and getting that repaired so that people can actually thrive in such a short period of time,” one driver said.

Although the road is open, motorists can expect longer travel times with a 35 miles-per-hour speed limit.

“I just went through that stretch of I-40 that was so damaged and it’s really amazing how much damage there is. But the road is very passable. We are fortunate that there wasn’t a lot of traffic, but beautiful scenery,” said Justin McBride.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said earlier in the week that permanent repairs to the roadway are only about 10%-12% complete, and it may be two or three years until the road is back to what it was.