BLOWING ROCK – Only local traffic should use Payne Branch Road in Blowing Rock while an N.C. Department of Transportation contractor improves the road.
Crews have started working on the $3.5 million project from Flat Top Road to Flannery Fork Road. The project, part of an ongoing effort to enhance traffic flow and improve safety, is scheduled for completion in late March 2027.
They will grade and widen the existing road to accommodate two lanes, install new drainage systems and a retaining wall. The improved route will be fully paved.
Motorists should expect delays of around five minutes, but occasional extended delays are possible for some operations.