Helene recovery, lessons learned are biggest highlights on day one of 2-day NC Transportation Summit

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is hosting a two-day summit at the Raleigh Convention Center.

During the two-day summit, industry experts from across the country are expected to discuss the state's highway infrastructure, innovative ideas on funding, and lessons learned from past storms and the impacts those storms have on the state's transportation system.

The topic is timely as Western North Carolina is getting closer to reflecting on the first year since Hurricane Helene. The storm destroyed communities and washed out roads and interstates.

According to the NCDOT, Helene will cost the department about $5 billion in recovery for roads, bridges, and culverts. It will take about five years to fully recover

Governor Josh Stein, during the summit's opening ceremony, said the state has already done more than $1 billion of the work, and 97 percent of the roads that were impacted have reopened

"It is nevertheless astounding to think of the progress that we've made in this recovery in just under a year since Helene," said Stein.

"It's also important that as we have been rebuilding, we're doing so with resilience in mind. That way, if another storm hits, when another storm hits, Western North Carolina's roads and bridges can better withstand its impact," he continued.

SEE ALSO | Hurricane Helene recovery funding restored for WNC after legal battle

During the first main breakout session on Wednesday at the summit, NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins provided a breakdown on the work that's been completed and the work that needs to be done.

NCDOT officials say Helene created approximately 9400 damage sites and over 1400 road closures. This included 41 separate interstate closures and 123 closures on U.S. routes. Today, the DOT is reporting 35 closures.

Hopkins shared more good news on the road to recovery. "We did receive permits necessary to help us reconstruct I-40, where it was damaged in the Pigeon River Gorge near the Tennessee state line. We can now construct a temporary bridge across the Pisgah River and a whole road to begin extracting rock from the Pisgah National Forest," Hopkins explained.

The Transportation Summit is also hosting a career fair where the DMV is looking to add more driver's license examiners to its workforce.

There's also a business development zone, connecting smaller businesses with larger firms to spark more economic growth.

The transportation summit continues on Thursday with the DMV commissioner as a highlighted speaker, where he plans to discuss ways to improve the customer experience.

The summit is expected to bring in more than 1,000 attendees and 70 vendors.