WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and NCDOT officials in western North Carolina and TDOT officials in east Tennessee Thursday, to see updates on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support the rebuilding and reopening of damaged infrastructure and provide assistance to communities damaged by Hurricane Helene. The Secretary and Governor began their day in Asheville with a briefing from North Carolina and federal officials on reconstruction progress of damaged infrastructure. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer joined them for a briefing in the River Arts District. Sec. Buttigieg and Gov. Cooper continued to Canton, NC, where they were joined by Mayor Zeb Smathers for a walking tour of Canton. Secretary Buttigieg and Governor Cooper with then travel to I-40 near the NC/TN border, where they will hear about the work being done to reopen the interstate and tour stabilization construction on the North Carolina side. The Secretary will then travel to Tennessee, where he will speak with TDOT officials and hear about efforts to reopen the interstate with the help of federal emergency relief dollars. To date, the U.S. Department of Transportation has made $100 million in Emergency Relief funds available to the North Carolina Department of Transportation and $32 million available to the Tennessee Department of Transportation to help pay for the costs of immediate emergency road work resulting from Hurricane Helene flood damage. Video courtesy of WHNS via CNN Newsource.