ASHEVILLE – The N.C. Department of Transportation granted its contractor permission to place Interstate 26 West into its final pattern on Friday morning.
For the first time, it’s all open, including the common congestion spot climbing the Blue Ridge Parkway hill.
“It’s certainly a big day,” said NCDOT contract Resident Engineer Luke Middleton, who has overseen day-to-day activities since construction began. “I got here early this morning to ensure the new paint dried and to see it open with my own eyes.”
Drivers are now able to utilize all of the new westbound lanes from U.S. 64 (Exit 49) in Henderson County all the way to Brevard Road (Exit 33) in Buncombe County. Prior to construction, this stretch had two lanes for the entire 17 miles.
Open does not mean complete. Crews will be finishing a few spots in Buncombe County this weekend that require short-term lane closures. An estimated six months of construction remain in the area west of the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge.
Construction continues in the area on eastbound lanes to build a new interchange (Exit 35) connecting I-26 to Fredrick Law Olmstead Way, which will continue west to Brevard Road (N.C. 191). The interchange is an addition to the I-26 widening project and should be completed by the end of the year.
Additional overnight closures will be necessary over the coming weeks to complete diamond grinding, install new pavement markings and complete concrete block joints.