Corridor Public Hearing

The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to conduct a Corridor Public Hearing in Asheville early next year to answer questions and receive comments about the entire I-26 Connector project. The I-26 Corridor public hearing will be held in the last quarter of 2008.

Alternative Eliminated

In August 2007, after a presentation to the environmental review team of Federal, State and local officials, NCDOT eliminated further consideration of Alternate 5 that proposed constructing a new crossing of the French Broad River immediately south of the existing Smoky Park Bridges to accommodate Patton Avenue traffic. This alternative was eliminated due to operational deficiencies that would worsen the traffic operations along existing I-240 east of the project in downtown Asheville.

Public Involvement

The NCDOT has held numerous meetings with community leaders, local interest groups, business groups and the affected business owners and neighborhood groups about this project since 1989. For more information please see the Full Public Involvement Document

This action is needed because:

A better transportation facility is needed to connect US 19-23 north of Asheville with I-26 south of Asheville. The construction of NCDOT TIP Project A-10 (US 19-23 improvements from Asheville to the Tennessee State Line) allows motorists to travel on a fully controlled-access, median-divided freeway from I-81 near Kingsport, Tennessee to I-240 in Asheville (see Figure 2). I-26 currently connects the port of Charleston, South Carolina with the mountains of North Carolina terminating at the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange southwest of Asheville. I-240 west of Asheville, connects I-26 with US 19-23. This freeway, constructed in the 1960's, does not meet current interstate design standards. The existing interchange connecting US 19-23 from the north with I-240 contains sharply-curved, single-lane ramps. Freeway traffic using this interchange will be restricted to one lane in each direction which would cause traffic to queue onto I-240 at its most congested location in Asheville.

Increasing traffic volumes have substantially reduced the level of service along I-240 on the west side of Asheville. Several sections of I-240 currently operate at capacity, resulting in traffic delays and queuing on I-240. Traffic congestion and resulting delays will continue to worsen in the future as the population increases.

I-240 needs safety improvements. Existing I-240 west of Asheville does not meet current interstate safety standards. I-240, west of Asheville, currently has a higher accident rate than the average rate for similar North Carolina facilities, demonstrating the need for safety improvements along this section of the facility.

Purpose of the Project

• To provide a freeway-to-freeway connection between I-26 south of Asheville and US 19-23 north of Asheville. The existing connection between US 19-23 from the north and I-240 follows sharply-curved, single-lane ramps that do not meet the design requirements for an interstate freeway. While also providing a link in the transportation system connecting a direct, multi-lane, freeway facility meeting interstate standards from the Port of Charleston, South Carolina to I-81 near Kingsport, Tennessee.
• To improve the capacity deficiencies of existing I-240 west of Asheville to accommodate the existing and forecasted (2030 design year) traffic in this growing area. And to improve the safety of I-240 on the west side of Asheville.
• To reduce traffic delays and congestion along the I-240 crossing of the French Broad River which currently operates at capacity.
• To increase the remaining useful service of the existing Smoky Park Bridges by substantially reducing the volume of traffic on this vital crossing of the French Broad River.