Answer Woman: Merrimon Avenue striping difficult to see? Exit sign fix?

ASHEVILLE - Today's burning question is about road markings on Merrimon Avenue, recent restriping that a reader says all but disappears in the rain. Plus, a bonus question on the long-missing portions of the I-240 Merrimon Avenue exit ramp sign. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chávez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.

Question: A section of Merrimon Avenue was recently narrowed, repaved and striped. Now, only a few months later, the striping is disappearing. In the rain it is very hard to see the fading lines and at night, especially when raining, almost impossible to find them. Perhaps the paint was bad, not done correctly, or now considered a REAL traffic calmer as it gets harder and harder to see. Is this a known issue and will it be corrected?

Answer: According to a N.C. Department of Transportation construction engineer, the initial striping noticed by the reader were just "temporary markings" placed before winter.

The contractor started installing permanent markings in the second week of April, such as the arrow symbols, stop bars and crosswalks. Crews were scheduled to begin the center and edge lines the next week.

More: Answer Woman: Are the Merrimon Avenue bike lanes open? If not, when?

Resurfacing of the 2.5-mile section of Merrimon Avenue from I-240 to Midland Road at Beaver Lake began Oct. 17, to be followed by the placement of permanent traffic markings.

"Permanent markings could not be placed at the time due to seasonal limitations," said Jody Lawrence, Division 13 assistant construction engineer.

These permanent markings, being placed now, are "long-life, high-visibility pavement markings," Lawrence said.

According to a 2021 news release from the department, "long-life" markings are shown to decrease crashes. Using "thermoplastic" lane markings, which are more durable and better at reflecting headlights, they are more visible at night and in the rain.

Of this section of Asheville's highly trafficked central corridor, only 1.5 miles were subject to the oft-controversial road diet — converting the stretch from Midland Road to W.T. Weaver Boulevard from four lanes to three, with 5-foot bicycle lanes to be installed along both sides of the road.

Lawrence said the road diet section is scheduled to be completed by mid-May and the remainder of the corridor will be complete by late June.

More on bike lanes: Is there room in downtown Asheville for less parking, more bike lanes? Residents weigh in

Travelers of Merrimon Avenue, especially the section closest to downtown, from the Coleman Avenue Shell station to Biltmore Avenue, will notice crews have "milled out" the old asphalt, leaving the road rough and somewhat bumpy, and avoiding manholes feels more high-stakes than usual.

These areas are next up for repaving and restriping, along with replacement of noncompliant curb ramps and adjustments to manholes, water valves and catch basins.

More: Answer Woman: What comes next for the long-awaited Karen Cragnolin Park on Amboy Road?

Merrimon Avenue exit sign?

Question: 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 ... 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: For this question, we return to the popular subject of several "Answer" columns, bringing readers the long-awaited, and hopefully last, update on the abbreviated exit sign.

After more than a year, "ME AVE" is no more.

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

NCDOT Spokesperson David Uchiyama said a contractor completed the work on the sign March 22.

Replacement of the sign was done overnight. The contractor, Green Light Electric, Inc., closed the exit for crews to do the work. The new sign is covered with a "special highly reflective sheeting," according to a March 13 news release, which also allowed the contractor to remove the electric lightning as part of the operation.

A December update on the sign indicated it was damaged as far back as January 2022, and while a new sign had been on order for months, supply chain issues and a wait to schedule the replacement until after the holidays led to longer delays.

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Woman: Merrimon Avenue restriping difficulties? Exit sign fix?