<P> In December 2004, an 10.6 - mile (17.1 km) widening project was completed from US 15 / US 501 (exit 270), in Durham, to NC 147 (exit 279), in the RTP . The project expanded lanes from four to six - lanes . In March 2005, construction crews returned for eight weeks to replace asphalt used in the widening project, which began to deteriorate not long after the lanes opened to the public . However, the paving mistakes were more severe and NCDOT contracted Lane Construction Corp to replace all the bad concrete used in the botch widening project, at a cost of $21.7 million . </P> <P> In 2011, an 8 - mile (13 km) widening project was completed between Harrison Avenue (exit 287) and Gorman Street (exit 295). At a cost of $49 million, the project expanded lanes from four to six - lanes . </P> <P> The first section of I - 40 in North Carolina is the section that travels through the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County . Known locally as simply "The Gorge", this part of I - 40 cuts a path from the Tennessee state line to Waynesville . This section of the interstate is curvy and tends to become a bit narrow in some places when compared to other portions of the highway . Because much of the road was cut through mountainside and along the river, concrete retaining walls have been built on both sides of the road and in the median, cutting down on the width of the breakdown lanes . Coupled with speeding vehicles, the thick fog that tends to plague the area, winter weather, and little room to maneuver in case of accident, this area has become notorious for its severe and many times fatal accidents . It is reported that a person is 20 times as likely to die on I - 40 in Haywood County than they would be to win the Powerball lottery, which equals to be twice the average of any other Interstate Highway in North Carolina . </P> <P> Even some minor accidents have been known to tie up traffic in this area, because there is little room to move accidents off or to the side of the road with the terrain . Speeding semi trucks have been a problem in the gorge and have subsequently led to many accidents . In 2002 and 2003, two state troopers were killed in two separate accidents by speeding trucks that drifted off the road and hit their police car conducting a traffic stop . This led the North Carolina Highway Patrol to crack down on speeding tractor trailers and speeders in general through the area . </P>

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