Residents and commuters in East Tennessee have reason to celebrate as the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced the restoration of a vital roadway. State Route 81, connecting Unicoi and Washington Counties, is now open to traffic after extensive repairs following Hurricane Helene’s devastation. The route, crucial for more than 5,400 vehicles that use it daily, has been closed since the disaster struck in September 2024, forcing drivers into a time-consuming detour.
The vital 1.1-mile section of SR 81 underwent substantial reconstruction that involved guardrail installation, grade work, the construction of rock buttresses, and final surface paving. This effort was part of a broader initiative to repair hurricane-damaged infrastructure, where 43 out of 49 affected sections of state/local routes have now been reopened, as per Tennessee Department of Transportation’s announcement yesterday…