FOX Weather’s Brandy Campbell is in Chimney Rock, North Carolina where volunteers are arriving from all over the country to help the region post-Hurricane Helene.

A major benchmark has been achieved amid Hurricane Helene’s recovery efforts as parts of Interstate 40 prepare to open this weekend in western North Carolina. 

To sustain safety on the road, there will be one lane open on each side of the highway, along with a strict 40 mph zone.

One lane of the interstate will be open in each direction from Exit 20 to Exit 15 in North Carolina, and again from Exit 7 to the state line and about five miles into Tennessee, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Hurricane Helene displaced many residents and devastated the southeast U.S. with deadly flooding.

FRIGID TEMPERATURES ADD TO MISERY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES RAVAGED BY HELENE: ‘WE’RE STRUGGLING’

According to state estimates, the remnants of the September hurricane damaged or destroyed more than 70,000 homes across the state of North Carolina.

The hurricane was both the deadliest and the costliest of last season, which claimed over 200 lives – many of which were in North Carolina.

Photos show the progress Department of Transportation crews have achieved over the last few months during the restoration of the highway that connects Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

Interstate 40 set to reopen in North Carolina near the Pigeon River Gorge on March 1, nearly 6 months after Hurricane Helene. 

(@NCDOT / X)

There is still a long way to go before the highway reopens to full capacity.