AFTER WAITING YEARS FOR I-26 TO BE WIDENED, LOCAL RESIDENTS WERE TOLD THIS WEEK OF CHANGES IN DOT'S PLANS FOR THE MUCH NEEDED WIDENING
With right-of-way acquisition slated for this year and construction expected to start next year, planned changes include:
At the Exit 49 interchange at Four Seasons Boulevard, officials have chosen a partial cloverleaf with enhanced left turns, which keeps two of the existing loop ramps and directs exiting vehicles from I-26 to make right turns onto Four Seasons.
That means a vehicle exiting the interstate will have to turn right, and those entering the interstate will have to pass over the overpass and turn left onto the interstate on-ramp.
David Uchiyama, with NCDOT, said the decision to make the changes stemmed from public input gathered at a meeting NCDOT held in fall 2016 along with associated cost reductions and the drastic reduction in the number of needed relocations.
A new bridge will be constructed over U.S. 64, and the new traffic pattern should help with traffic flow on the road as well, he said, with much more capacity for vehicles than the existing design.
NCDOT also plans to install several safety features at the interstate’s two bridges over the French Broad River, which will be replaced with a single span. NCDOT plans to install a safe passage lane for river users including floating navigational aids, and will require the contractor to install a catchment device on the structures to prevent construction materials from falling into the water.
Signage is also planned for nearby access points like Westfeldt Park, Horseshoe Park and Bent Creek River Park, alerting users to the construction downstream.
Coordination is ongoing between numerous agencies, according to DOT, and formal consultation will occur before the final environmental document is issued.
Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch said officials hope to have the environmental impact statement finalized in June, at which point NCDOT can request project funds in July and begin right-of-way acquisitions in August of this year.
He expects the first of the two project sections, from Interstate 40 in Asheville to Exit 40 in Fletcher, to be let out for construction in March of 2019 and the remainder, from N.C. 280 to U.S. 64, to be let for construction in June 2019.
Anyone interested can submit comments until May 1 via email or phone, which will be considered as the project moves forward. More information about the project can be found at www.ncdot.gov/projects/i26Widening/.
Comment submittals can be made to Wanda Austin, NCDOT Division 14 project development engineer, 253 Webster Road, Sylva, NC 28779, 828-586-2141 or
