MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Cherohala Skyway has reopened after heavy rain caused the road to wash out, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

State Road 165, also known as the Cherohala Skyway, reopened Friday morning, TDOT reported, after a 38 day closure. On August 15, heavy rains caused the road to wash out, and TDOT released a 121-mile detour around the washed out section of road the next day.

While an earlier estimate by the Monroe County Mayor suggested temporary repairs to the road would be completed around the first to second week of December, on September 6, TDOT released the anticipated reopening date of September 22.

TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi shared videos and photos of the road reopening on social media. TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley was also at the ribbon cutting event.

“Those of you who live here, those of you who work here understand that this really is and was a a lifeline for this community,” Eley said. “Everybody knows that TDOT’s responsibility is to is to build roads and do things like this, but really, it’s our high honor at the Department of Transportation to really build communities that’s what we’re all about.”