I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge: truck rules and detours, September 2026

The short version

As of September 2026, I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge runs one lane each way at 35 mph. There are no shoulders, no pull-offs and no services. [3][4]

Nothing over 8.5 ft wide is allowed. A standard 18-wheeler can use the gorge. A wide load cannot, and has to detour on I-77 and I-81. [1][3]

Fuel up before you go in. The Pilot at I-40 Exit 24 near Waynesville is the last big truck stop before the no-services zone. [13][3]

What the gorge is like right now

The one-lane section runs about 12 miles, from Exit 7 in North Carolina to Exit 447 in Tennessee. [1]

TDOT's construction report for September 3 to 9, 2026 says the work zone has no shoulders, no emergency pull-offs and no services. It tells drivers to fuel up and check their equipment before entering. [3]

Summer tourist traffic adds delays in the one-lane zone. [4]

GPS and phone apps may point you to an exit inside the gorge. NCDOT says nothing past Exit 20 at US 276 works as an alternate route. [1]

Detours for regular and wide loads

NCDOT's detour is I-26 from Asheville to Kingsport, Tennessee, then I-81 south back to I-40. [1]

For wide loads, NCDOT's detour is I-77 and I-81. [1]

From the Tennessee side, TDOT sends wide loads on I-81 north to I-26 east, or on I-77 south. [3]

At the Knoxville end of the lane, ATRI's 2026 bottleneck list ranks I-40 and I-75 at I-140 37th in the US, at 35.9 mph at peak. I-40 at I-275 ranks 61st, at 39.8 mph. [16]

Fuel, parking and the scale before you commit

The Pilot at 3712 Crabtree Road, I-40 Exit 24, has 60 truck spaces. It is the last big truck stop before the gorge's no-services zone. [13][3]

TA Candler at 153 Wiggins Road, I-40 Exit 37, has 106 spaces, 8 fuel lanes, 4 service bays and a CAT scale. NCDOT counts it among the most heavily used truck lots in the state. [11][12][14]

NCDOT says truck parking on I-26 is at capacity, so do not count on finding a spot on the detour late at night. [14]

The Asheville weigh station is on I-40 about 12 miles west of Asheville. It has two fixed scales, and its phone number is (828) 667-2820. [10]

When the lanes come back

WUNC reported on September 3, 2026 that two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane are targeted for late 2028. All four lanes are targeted for late 2029. [2]

The cost estimate rose to about $2.8 billion after crews found bedrock far deeper than expected. A June 2026 report had put four lanes in fall 2028, and the September timeline replaces it. [2][4]

NCDOT is rebuilding with roller-compacted concrete designed to survive another flood the size of Helene. Blasting is underway at quarries in both states. [5]

Closures still happen

A rockslide and flooding at mile marker 450, Exit 451 in Cocke County, Tennessee, closed both directions on June 18 and 19, 2025. [6][7]

During that closure, trucks were barred from secondary roads and from US 441 over Newfound Gap Road through the Smokies. The road was back to one lane each way by June 2026. [6][4]

When Hurricane Helene hit on September 28, 2024, I-40 closed at mile markers 47 to 50 near Asheville, 63 to 67 near Black Mountain and 66 to 73 near Old Fort. I-26 closed at the Tennessee line. [8]

Eastbound: Old Fort Mountain

NCDOT requires every eastbound truck over 10,000 lbs to pull into the truck information station before the Old Fort Mountain descent. Stop at the red light and wait for green. Pickups and vans are not included. [9]

The station briefs drivers on grade conditions, speed limits and lane restrictions for the descent. [9]

Old Fort Mountain, between Black Mountain and Old Fort, is a steep, winding grade about 6 miles long with several runaway truck ramps. [15]

A scrap metal straight truck overturned at the base of the mountain near Exit 73 on April 15, 2024. [17]

Left-lane rules on I-40

NCDOT's left-lane restrictions apply to trucks over 26,000 lbs GVWR with three or more axles. [9]

In Haywood County, the restriction runs from the Tennessee line to 0.7 mile west of US 276. [9]

In Buncombe County, it covers westbound I-40 from the Haywood line to 0.3 mile west of SR 1200, and from 0.3 mile east of SR 2531 to the McDowell line. In McDowell County, it runs from the Buncombe line to US 70. [9]