Site work and paving for a road / highway in Asheville, North Carolina. Conceptual plans call for site work for a road / highway; and for paving for a road / highway.

https://www.blueridgenow.com/story/news/local/2025/04/30/ncdot-see-new-designs-for-the-i-26-connector-in-asheville/83341082007/ Updated designs for Asheville's I-26 Connector continue to draw community concern At a NCDOT information session April 24, meeting attendees were presented updated project plans for the northern section of the I-26 Connector project. The updated plans include a design that would take the I-26 over Patton Avenue, rather than under, on the west side of the French Broad River. This change has drawn some frustration from longtime advocates, nearby residents and others. ASHEVILLE - The N.C. Department of Transportation says it is moving forward with construction plans for the northern section of the I-26 Connector project despite pushback from critics upset over its new design. At an April 24 project update meeting in the ballroom of downtown's Renaissance Hotel, revised plans were displayed for the 375 meeting-goers - the first new public-facing maps since those presented at a 2018 public hearing. The connector's northern section is its priciest. The $1.2 billion project includes a new portion of interstate from the Haywood Road interchange, crossing the river and connecting to U.S. 19/23/70 north of Broadway, as well as roadway improvements along Riverside Drive. A recently revealed revival of an unpopular element believed to have been quashed 15 years before has drawn new project critiques. Much of the frustration centers on a 150-foot-wide interstate bridge that will arch over Patton Avenue west of the French Broad River, rather than under. Michael McDonough, a founding member of the Asheville Design Center, said as an architect, he can see the potential of good design. "You can meet the needs elegantly or brutally," he said. "And this is brutally." A rendering of NCDOT's I-26 Connector design at the I-26/Patton Avenue interchange and of the interstate overpass. The design center was a nonprofit founded in the early aughts by designers, architects and engineers determined to come up with alternative, more community-oriented solutions for the I-26 Connector. It merged with MountainTrue in 2017. McDonough said they thought it was a "done deal" that the interstate would go under Patton, a design intended to encourage an urban and pedestrian-oriented street, rather than suburban sprawl. He said the revised design does not feel like the Patton Avenue they were fighting for. "I don't think we've gotten any closer to it than we were 20 years ago," he said. A rendering of NCDOT's I-26 Connector design at the I-26/Patton Avenue interchange and of the interstate overpass. 'Most economical' option, says NCDOT A five-minute video greeted people on their way into the hotel. It said the alternative concept was the "most economical and feasible to construct," in large part due to required relocation of existing utilities with a Patton-over-interstate design. The design-build contract was awarded to Archer-Wright Joint Venture in May and then underwent a six-month "optimization and refinement process" after all contract costs for the northern section came in over budget. The process shaved about $124 million off the initial cost estimate for the project. Changes included a smaller highway footprint, fewer residential relocations, reduced impacts on communities, like Hillcrest Apartments, and "better overall safety," according to an April handout from NCDOT. It also reduced the overall number and width of bridges across the river and eliminates a proposed interchange connecting I-240 to Patton Avenue. A rendering of NCDOT's I-26 Connector design for the Hillcrest area. But the eight-lane interstate overpass revisions came earlier. The design change was submitted as an "alternative technical concept" by Archer-Wright as part of the procurement process. The department reviewed and approved it in July 2023. Without this change, the video said, the project would not have advanced through optimization and refinement phase and could have faced indefinite delays. NCDOT Division 13 Construction Engineer Nathan Moneyham told the Citizen Times that from here, changes the department can make are "limited." Of the possibility to revise aspects of the project, he said, "we are moving forward with this plan under our contract with Archer-Wright Joint Venture," but would continue to discuss mitigation and alternatives with the public. "We've got to keep moving to meet this schedule that we have with our contractors." A section of the map showing the I-26 Connector as it crosses Patton Avenue west of the French Broad River. Now what The newly formed I-26 Citizens' Coalition, fighting against the overpass, posted on social media that after the meeting it would continue to advocate. It urged people to offer feedback by NCDOT's May 25 deadline and is planning a public design charette to formally document concerns. Its petition has generated more than 1,700 signatures. What is the timeline Amid project changes, advocates have questioned how the new design can move forward without going through another Final Environmental Impact Statement process, which was completed in January 2020, outlining potential environmental impacts and design refinements. The department argues that this "design refinement" is a common part of the design-build process and the revised design "does not introduce any additional impacts and still meets the purpose and need of the project" and complies with the National Environmental Policy Act. However, it said in April that it would produce a NEPA re-evaluation to document findings and update environmental impacts. Moneyham said it is not a "reopening" of the document, but a formal name for the ongoing process: compiling changes and submitting them to the Federal Highway Administration for review, including public comment, to confirm NEPA compliance. I-26 Connector Project timeline NEPA Re-evaluation: Summer 2025 Permitting: Fall 2025 Right-of-way acquisition: Fall 2025 Construction: March 2026 Project completion: 2031 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Widen to Six Lane Freeway County : Buncombe Route : I-26 /I-240 Length (Miles) : 1.85 Mode : Highway As of August 23, 2025, the project is in Conceptual status. Anticipated letting year is 2026. NC DOT - Widen to Six Lane Freeway - I-26 /I-240 *Project information has been obtained through a public state transportation improvement plan (STIP). A STIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the STIP often evolves based on funding availability. The project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.