After Helene, state helps repair and replace private roads in Western NC
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- State offers partial reimbursements for Helene-damaged private access roads.
- Up to $25 million allocated to fund up to 50% of eligible repair costs.
- Priority given to roads critical for emergency access or multiple residences.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene damaged or destroyed thousands of private roads and bridges that Western North Carolina residents and businesses relied on to reach public highways.
Now the state’s effort to help rebuild those private structures has reached a new phase.
The state is taking applications from people seeking partial reimbursement for completed rebuilding work. The General Assembly has provided up to $25 million to pay up to half of what people spent restoring access to their homes or businesses.
Last winter, state officials estimated that 8,000 private roads and bridges needed to be repaired or replaced after Helene. They range from gravel roads and simple wooden structures across small creeks to concrete and steel bridges over rivers.
“People need their driveways and other private roads to get anywhere — work, school, even the grocery store,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement Wednesday. “And when they’re not repaired, they put first responders at risk in the event of an emergency. These grants are a critical step forward in Western North Carolina’s recovery process.”
The reimbursement program follows an ongoing effort to help pay for private roads and bridges that remain damaged or missing since the storm. Stein signed a bill into law in March that created a repair and replacement program for private bridges within N.C. Emergency Management and seeded it with $100 million.
The state has received requests for help with more than 3,700 sites under that program, providing access to nearly 18,000 homes, according to the agency. The deadline for submitting an interest form for the program was Aug. 31.
How to apply for reimbursement
The state will accept applications for the reimbursement program through February but encourages people to apply as soon as possible because of the limited funding. Someone from the state will review the repair work in person before any reimbursement is made.
The state’s private road and bridge program gives priority to roads and bridges that provide access to multiple homes, businesses or recreation facilities or that are the only way emergency vehicles can reach homes occupied by the owner for more than six months of the year.
For more information, including an application form, go to www.ncdps.gov/Helene/PRB. The program is available to residents in 39 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 5:45 AM.
