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​HAYESVILLE – Construction will begin early next year on a stretch of highway serving residents of Clay County and welcoming visitors from Georgia.



The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a $46.3 million contract to widen N.C. 69 from the Georgia state line to U.S. 64 near Hayesville.





The contract with Wright Brothers Construction, of Charleston, Tenn., allows for construction to begin as early as Jan. 6, 2020, and includes a completion date of March 2024.





“We are delighted to begin construction on a project that will improve connections for residents and businesses in Clay County with our friends across North Carolina and in neighboring Georgia,” Division 14 engineer Brian Burch said. “This long awaited project is a continuation of a commitment to provide a brighter future for western North Carolina.”





This highway is part of the 1965 Appalachian Highway Development System Corridor A, which runs from Interstate 285 near Atlanta to I-40 near Clyde. The system is designed to generate economic development in isolated areas, supplement the interstate system, connect Appalachia to the interstate system and provide access to areas within the region as well as to markets in the rest of the country.





Construction on N.C. 69 will transform the two-lane road into a four-lane highway with a raised median in the middle. The inside lanes will be 12-feet wide. The outside lanes will be 14-feet wide to accommodate bicycles, and the outside shoulder will be a 10-foot berm to accommodate a sidewalk if Clay County wishes to add one in the future. The median will include designated left turn lanes at intersections and U-turn areas built to accommodate tractor-trailers and recreational vehicles.





This project will meet the anticipated capacity need for expected traffic demands in 2045. The designed improvements will increase safety for the traveling public by reducing the possibilities for t-bone crashes. The project ranked as one of the top five priorities in the Clay County Comprehensive Transportation Plan.





During construction, flaggers will help control traffic during periodic lane closures, and access to all businesses and residences will be provided.





Transportation officials remind motorists to travel safely in work zones by driving the speed limit, staying alert and obeying all posted signs.

