U.S. 64 into Bat Cave opens
on Saturday. Some construction remains with traffic controlled by signals
BAT CAVE – The N.C. Department of Transportation, in partnership with local municipalities, will remove barricades and open U.S. 64 to traffic this weekend, ahead of schedule.
Crews from Blythe Construction will reopen the highway in a temporary pattern on March 28 as they finish reconstructing the hurricane-damaged corridor.
“We are excited to open this critical route into Bat Cave, Chimney Rock and the surrounding communities that were devastated by Hurricane Helene,” Division 14 Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “Our crews, and all of our contractors, have done a tremendous job from the initial emergency assessments to recent resurfacing.”
U.S. 64 had been restricted to local traffic only while contract crews graded the area, installed new drainage, stabilized slopes, built retaining walls and performed other reconstruction operations to rebuild a road that narrowed to less than one lane in several spots after the storm. Crews removed 20,000 cubic yards of debris, removed about 4,000 cubic yards of dirt and placed 57,000 tons of rock to rebuild the road.
The remaining tasks revolve around stabilization and construction of the eastbound lane, which will be done with temporary traffic signals managing traffic. Engineers anticipate having the road fully open to traffic by Memorial Day.
Once complete, engineers estimate the cost of the project will be about $7 million under budget, costing about $25 million.
This stretch of U.S. 64 will be the first of the major corridors damaged by Helene to open with final repairs. NCDOT crews and contractors continue designing and constructing permanent repairs across western North Carolina to serve the residents and visitors of western North Carolina.
“It’s a pleasure to invite folks on our roads back to Bat Cave, Chimney Rock and Lake Lure,” Grindstaff said. “The hurricane left its mark on us, but it also revealed how well we can all come together in incredible ways for each other after a disaster.”
NCDOT encourages motorists to use caution and drive slowly in the area while crews continue to work over the next couple of months.