Answer Man: When will the Merrimon Avenue sign on I-240 finally be fixed?

ASHEVILLE - Today's burning question concerns a poor old sign that has been missing a vital piece for quite a while. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Interim Executive Editor Karen Chávez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.

Question: For some time now I have noticed that the exit sign for Merrimon Avenue on the 240 bypass downtown heading in the direction of interstate 40 has part of the sign missing. With the center section missing it now reads Me-Av. I would think at this critical location that this sign would be repaired in short order. Why is it taking so long and is there an estimated date for the repair?

Answer: The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for the upkeep of these signs, so while the city is undoubtedly counting the days until it is repaired, there is nothing it can do but wait.

Anna Henderson, the NCDOT traffic engineer for Division 13, which covers Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties, told the Citizen Times Nov. 23 that the signs are made, but the work to put them up has yet to be scheduled.

"With the holiday season upon us, installation will likely be completed in early 2023," she said.

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Asheville city spokesperson Kim Miller said that replacing the sign was "a NCDOT responsibility," and that the city was given very similar information to what the NCDOT told the Citizen Times.

"Our transportation department could not have influenced a more speedy replacement," Miller said.

In a previous Answer Man column, Henderson said the sign was ordered as far back as January, but because the sign manufacturing plant "experienced the same shortages as many others in the construction industry," fabrication was taking a while. She estimated at the time that the sign would be finished within several weeks of her June 22 email.

NCDOT noticed the damage to the sign after a "wind event" in January, NCDOT spokesperson David Uchiyama said. Local officials quickly ordered a new sign designed to fit on the existing structure, he said, but supply chain issues delayed the sign's fabrication.

All the wait may be worth it, though, as the new sign will have special highly-reflective sheeting, allowing NCDOT to remove the sign's electric lights, reducing light pollution in the city, he said.

Green Light Electric Inc., the contractor for the work, will be installing the sign at night but will require a detour of I-240 eastbound traffic. The exact date has yet to be determined, he said, but there will be "several days of notification."

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Construction continues on Merrimon Avenue, and I-240 sees some, too.

According to a Nov. 28 update on the City of Asheville's website, contractors resumed paving on the “road diet” section of Merrimon Avenue on Nov. 27 and expect to finish on the mainline sections by Dec. 2, weather permitting. Work began Oct. 10.

"Paving cannot continue during rain events or when temperature fall below 35 degrees," the website says.

Subcontractors will also continue to work on the signal loops and timing sequences with the goal of improving traffic flow, the website said. Work to upgrade non-compliant curb ramps throughout the corridor is also expected to continue "over the next several months," according to the site.

Construction also began on the night of Nov. 28 on the Montford Avenue bridge passing over I-240, which was damaged in January when a waste container truck's lift arm struck the bridge, flipping a car and closing the bridge and interstate for hours.

Previous reporting:Montford Avenue bridge repairs begin Nov. 28, road closures expected

According to past Citizen Times reporting, road closures on I-240 and Montford Avenue will happen primarily between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., with I-240 West and all lanes of Montford Avenue being closed. Daytime lane closures could also come to Montford Avenue, but the exact days have yet to be determined, Uchiyama said.

"Lane closures, similar to the conditions now, will vary as the construction progresses," he said.

Christian Smith is the general assignment reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Questions or comments? Contact him at RCSmith@gannett.com or 828-274-2222.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Answer Man: When will Merrimon Ave. sign finally be fixed?