I-40/85 reopens in Alamance County, after flooding from Chantal shut it down
Interstate 40/85 in Alamance County has reopened after being closed in both directions for several hours early Monday because of flooding, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The highway was shut down after the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal dumped several inches of rain in central North Carolina.
Nearly 8 inches fell in nearby Haw River in a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service. The Haw River at I-40/85 crested less than half a foot from its record during Hurricane Fran in 1996, according to the weather service.
I-40/85 was closed between Exit 152, Trollingwood Hawfields Road, and Exit 150, Jimmie Kerr Road, near Mebane. NCDOT initially said the road wasn’t expected to reopen until Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, but changed that assessment after the water receded and engineers were able to inspect the bridge, said spokeswoman Kelse Edwards.
“While there was significant standing water, there was no structural damage to the bridge itself,” Edwards wrote in an email.
Traffic was detoured onto local roads early Monday, creating severe traffic problems in Alamance County.
Dozens of secondary roads in Alamance, Chatham, Durham and Orange counties were also closed by flood waters.
Flooding prompted Amtrak to curtail its service in North Carolina. The early morning Piedmont from Raleigh to Charlotte was canceled, and the rest of the Piedmont’s schedule will operate only between Greensboro and Charlotte, with buses available to take passengers between Raleigh and Greensboro.
In addition, the Carolinian that normally runs between Charlotte and New York City will begin and end in Raleigh on Monday and Tuesday morning.
NCDOT still warns of slow-going on I-85/40 in Alamance County. People headed west from the Triangle might consider taking U.S. 64 through Chatham County to U.S. 421 at Siler City.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 7:55 AM.
