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Norfolk Southern says it expects to reopen its freight railroad line between Asheville and Tennessee by the end of March, six months after Hurricane Helene.

A stretch of I-40 that serves as a freight route between North Carolina and Tennessee has partially reopened after a monthslong shutdown caused by storm-related damage from Hurricane Helene.

In one of his first acts as North Carolina’s new leader, Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order to complete repairs on 8,000 roads and bridges that sustained damage during Hurricane Helene.

Congress reached agreement on more than $100 billion in emergency relief funding for victims of a series of disasters, including hurricanes Helene and Milton and the Baltimore bridge collapse.

The closure of Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge after Hurricane Helene has created challenges for some tractor-trailer drivers going between North Carolina and Tennessee.

The administration will send its request to lawmakers on Nov. 18, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Interstate 40 may reopen between North Carolina and Tennessee by New Year’s Day, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Gov. Roy Cooper has issued two executive orders to aid recovery efforts in the state — one to expedite distribution of surplus goods, and another to waive motor vehicle requirements.

In the worst moments, truckers are among the first to arrive, bringing lifesaving medication, water and food, writes new American Trucking Associations Chairman Dennis Dellinger.

The federal government has been under intense pressure to show that it is getting help to areas devastated by the back-to-back hurricanes and warns that more money will be needed.