A $263-million, five-year construction project that will widen Interstate 26 from Hendersonville to I-40 in Buncombe County could begin by late September.

The N.C. Department of Transportation announced July 31 that it has awarded a contract to widen I-26 from Brevard Road to the Henderson County line near Airport Road. Also, bids for a companion project to widen I-26 from the county line to Four Seasons Boulevard in Henderson County will be received this fall, the N.C. DOT press release stated.

The widening project will expand the interstate from four lanes to eight lanes — four in each direction — from Brevard Road to the Henderson County line, the DOT noted. The project will double the capacity of I-26, one of the more heavily traveled roads in the region.

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DOT traffic counts for 2017 showed I-26 carried 84,000 vehicles a day near I-40 and just to the south. That drops to 82,000 vehicles a day in southern Buncombe County and 67,000 in Henderson County.

New bridges, retaining walls coming

Fluor-United Joint Venture of Greenville, S.C., won the widening contract with a bid of $263 million, the release notes. Company officials said they expect to begin construction by the end of September.

“After many years of waiting, we are excited to see this project moving forward,” said Mark Gibbs, division engineer with the DOT's Division 13, based in Asheville. "While it will take some time to complete the project, ultimately it will greatly improve the travel time of those who utilize this segment of I-26.”

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The upcoming project will include numerous bridge replacements, including those over the French Broad River and the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge over I-26. Work will also include multiple retaining walls, drainage system upgrades, new concrete pavement and additional safety improvements to this corridor.

While the work undoubtedly will slow traffic, the contractor will keep at least two lanes of traffic open in each direction during the day, the DOT said.

Completion is slated for the spring of 2024.

Years of planning almost complete

DOT engineers and Fluor-United officials "are meeting regularly to determine project schedules, review and revise traffic-control plans, finalize other details, and prepare for the first official day of construction," according to the press release.

Planning has been underway for years, the DOT said, noting that the project has required roadway and traffic control plans, environmental permits, development of a river usage plan and coordination of efforts with local officials to prepare for emergency response situations including winter storms.

Agencies that have helped prepare for the project including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Geological Survey, Buncombe County, Henderson County, among others.

“We are thankful to all of the agencies, partners and employees who have spent so much time preparing for this day,” Gibbs said in the release. "N.C. DOT and Fluor-United look forward to delivering such a meaningful project to enhance the lives of so many people.”

'We know it's going to be an inconvenience'

Jack Cecil, CEO of Biltmore Farms, which built the commercial and residential Biltmore Park development off the Long Shoals Road exit at I-26, said the widening will undoubtedly have an impact on local residents.

"We know it's going to be an inconvenience for everybody, but it's time to do it," Cecil said. "If the traffic gets really bad, there's a chance people may peel off the interstate to eat or see a movie while they let it subside, and then they'll get back on."

Cecil said Biltmore Farms has suggested to its employees that they may want to stagger departure and arrival times, especially during the busy upcoming leaf season. While Cecil said he is pleased the contractor will keep two lanes open in each direction, he suspects the narrowed lanes will result in slower traffic and the occasional "pandemonium" on the interstate, especially at rush hours.

An eight-lane highway may trouble some people worried about over-development or excessive tourism, Cecil acknowledged, but once it's done it will definitely improve safety and commute times for locals and tourists, he said.

"At the end of the day, less congestion is the ultimate goal," Cecil said.

The ultimate takeaway is society as a whole needs to consider denser development with work, play and housing in one location to cut down on the necessity of commuting, he said.

Construction unlikely to slow tourism

The Asheville area sees nearly 11 million visitors a year, and I-26 is a pipeline into or out of the mountains for some of them. It's also a popular route for travelers heading to South Carolina beaches or Charleston.

"While I-26 is an important corridor, construction is unlikely to deter visitors to this region or any other destinations that rely on this interstate, such as South Carolina and Georgia beaches or points further south in Florida," said Marla Tambellini, deputy director and vice president of marketing at Explore Asheville, the Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Many of the visitor drive markets to Buncombe County and Asheville either don’t use this route or have other ways to bypass it."

Tambellini said this particularly section of I-26 "mostly comprises pass-through traffic or local/regional drivers who regularly use that thoroughfare. Roadwork can be an annoyance, but it’s not surprising to encounter it during any longer trip," she said.