A major interstate at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line is shut down as of Thursday morning, and drivers are asked to seek alternate routes.

At 7:25 on June 18, the Cocke County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) out of Tennessee announced that I-1-40 was closed in both directions at the North Carolina/Tennessee State line due to “4 to 5 feet of water on the interstate.”

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) said on the morning of Thursday, June 19, that the interstate remains fully closed at mile marker 450 in Cocke County “due to a possible rockslide.”

CCEMA reports “no loss of life or injury to any citizen or Emergency Responder” as of Thursday morning, though several people were rescued from partially submerged vehicles.

Drivers are being diverted off I-40 at mile marker 7.0 in North Carolina and at mile marker 447.0 in Tennessee.

The National Park Service (NPS) issued a reminder following the interstate closure that all commercial vehicles are prohibited on US 441/Newfound Gap Road. When damage from Hurricane Helene shuttered I-40 last fall, a number of commercial truck drivers attempted to use US 441 as a way to route between the two states. Some of these trucks crashed or became stuck, and the issue was so pervasive that NPS threatened fines of up to $5000.

Additionally, officials are reminding drivers that no trucks with trailers over 30 feet in length, or single units over 30 feet in length are permitted on US 129 “The Dragon” in Tennessee or North Carolina.

It isn’t clear when I-40 will reopen.

Follow the Tennessee Department of Transportation for updates.