Transit Sec Sean Duffy visits North Carolina, Tennessee, pledges to rebuild roads at 'lightning' speed

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited western North Carolina to assess the ongoing recovery from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which struck the region in September of the previous year. Duffy’s tour included a look at the extensive repairs along Interstate 40 in Haywood County, an area severely affected by landslides and flooding.

During his visit, Duffy highlighted the importance of rebuilding the critical highway that connects North Carolina and Tennessee, talking about the speed at which Trump is planning to rebuild. "We're assessing and looking at how we can partner with local officials to rebuild quickly. Donald Trump, he doesn't move at the speed of prior administrations he moves lightning quick," Duffy commented.

In a statement, Duffy said, "When one part of our country hurts, our entire nation hurts, and that is why it is my priority to help the people of North Carolina and Tennessee rebuild this critical highway, ensuring their communities stay connected to the rest of both states."

The visit comes amid ongoing recovery efforts in the region, with Duffy receiving updates from state and federal officials on progress made. In a strategic move to expedite the recovery, Duffy announced that the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the US Forest Service had partnered to secure a “Special Use” permit, allowing local construction teams to extract building materials from a nearby river.

This change would shorten the distance to acquire necessary materials from 20-50 miles to just 1-3 miles, significantly reducing both costs and construction time.

“President Trump directed me to build infrastructure faster, better, and more affordably,” Duffy stated. “When we recently identified a path to reduce I-40’s construction costs and timeline by as much as two-thirds of the original Biden-era estimate, I immediately asked my team what we could do to help.”

“Too often, the federal government creates obstacles that slow recovery and drive up costs. This time, we're cutting through those burdensome barriers to get the job done.
Duffy's visit also comes after a recent appearance by President Trump in the Asheville area, where he voiced his concerns over the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and suggested a reevaluation of the federal government’s role in disaster recovery.

During his visit on January 24, Trump criticized FEMA’s bureaucratic inefficiencies, saying, “FEMA has been a very big disappointment... It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them.” Trump also proposed that states take a larger role in managing disaster responses, which would, in his view, expedite relief efforts.