‘Not a small storm.’ More than 50 NC roads still closed by Chantal flooding
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- More than 50 North Carolina roads remain closed due to Chantal flood damage.
- About 40 closures involve washed-out pavement or damaged bridges needing repair.
- NCDOT estimates Chantal-related repairs will exceed $10 million statewide.
Four days after the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal dropped flooding rains on Central North Carolina, more than 50 roads remained closed Wednesday, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Most of the closures are in a swath of the state west of the Triangle that were hit hardest by the storm, including Orange, Chatham, Alamance, Moore and Person counties.
At the peak of the flooding late Sunday and early Monday, 120 state-maintained roads were closed, including Interstate 40/85 near Mebane. Of the 52 still closed Wednesday, about 40 involved washed-out pavement or damaged bridges that will need to be repaired, said Joey Hopkins, the state secretary of Transportation.
“So this is not a small storm,” Hopkins said. “Certainly not the extent of a Helene, but this is still a pretty big storm.”
NCDOT still has years of work ahead to recover from the remnants of Hurricane Helene last September. The state estimates it will cost nearly $5 billion to repair and rebuild roads damaged by that storm in Western North Carolina.
By contrast, early estimates suggest the Chantal repairs will cost more than $10 million, Hopkins said.
Most of the damage was done to secondary roads in rural areas. Among the state highways still closed are:
▪ N.C. 902 washed out in two places in Chatham County — just west of Chatham Central High School and near Alex Cockman Road. Expected to reopen July 31.
▪ N.C. 119 closed north of Burlington near the Caswell County line because of a sinkhole. Expected to reopen July 15.
▪ N.C. 49 undermined near N.C. 119 in Alamance County. Expected to reopen July 15.
▪ N.C. 2 (Midland Road) closed due to pavement and shoulder damage near Central Drive in Southern Pines. Expected to reopen July 11.
Many of the damaged roads should be repaired by the end of the month, though some washed-out roads and bridges could take months to rebuild.
“Our crews are working to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible,” Hopkins said. “In the meantime, please be patient, adhere to emergency signing and detours and be mindful of the workers helping with recovery.”
For the latest road status, go to drivenc.gov.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 12:21 PM.
