Another moment of good news that occurred this past week was the reopening of Interstate 40 between Tennessee and North Carolina on March 1, 2025.
Rock Sprite and Badger spend considerable time in both states and traveling across the mountain after Hurricane Helene has been a long and tedious venture each and every time due to I-40’s closure.
While full four-lane interstate travel is months if not years away, we’ve been celebrating the ongoing storm recovery, and this development was big. Four miles of I-40 was either gone or severely compromised from the storm, and the DOTs of both states should be commended for their timely and crucial work.
To see the reopened highway, we opted to visit a rocky bluff known to us as Twelve Mile Cliff or, alternatively, Buzzards Roost. The perch affords an excellent view of the top of the Dry Gap Ridge Tunnel and I-40 directly below but the price one pays is the knee knocker of a 600-foot drop straight down to the Pigeon River. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Badger took advantage of the visit by hanging off the promontory to secure a historic photo of the traffic. Of course, Rock Sprite got in the action and got her own view, too.
The way we celebrate special events might seem somewhat unusual, but as we told others “That’s just what we do.” A calculated risk made this celebration come alive and also provided images that almost everyone wouldn’t see otherwise.
(Photo of Badger photographing the Pigeon River Gorge courtesy Kitty Myers Collection – photo of Kitty and view from Twelve Mile Cliff/Buzzards Roof by Thomas Mabry @honeybadgerimages)
Thomas Mabry – Honey Badger Images
Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages.
A huge thank you to the DOT workers in TN and NC for coming together and getting the almost impossible done!!
Thank you to Thomas Mabry and Kitty Myers for putting their on risk above all others to provide these spectacular views of this section of I-40 joining the two states together again!! And thank you Knox TN for featuring this article with the photos. I feel that these photos show and give the sense of just how huge and dangerous this job was for the DOT. Also, the spectators can see the view of how huge the project is for what lays ahead.
Thanks so much Cindy. After so many setbacks and patience, we can celebrate the little things, but this is quite the accomplishment. An unbelievable amount of work done and to be done!
Best one yet, Badger.
Thank you Sandra. This photo and place has a special meaning and we knew where to go to get the appropriate image