Asheville I-26 contract award incoming. What strategies will help protect neighborhoods?

Sarah Honosky, Asheville Citizen Times
·4 min read
Traffic flows on a portion of I-26 West in March.
Traffic flows on a portion of I-26 West in March.

ASHEVILLE - A contract award for sections of the Interstate 26 Connector project, slated to be one of the most consequential in Asheville's history, is planned for February. In July, council members discussed mitigation strategies in surrounding neighborhoods, many of which will be impacted by the seven-mile, $1.3 billion state project.

In February, Asheville City Council approved a $5.8 million investment into aesthetic enhancements for the project to be added to the previously budgeted $1.4 million in bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and included a motion in support of neighborhood improvements for the Burton Street, Hillcrest and Montford communities.

The sections under discussion, with a contract incoming, are B and D, encompassing:

  • (Section B) Builds interstate on a new location from the Haywood Road interchange north across the French Broad River, tying into U.S. 19/23/70 south of Broadway.

  • (Section D) Improvements along Riverside Drive from Hill Street to Broadway Street.

The design-build selection process is ongoing, according to a July 25 update from city Transportation Director Ken Putnam, and three teams have been shortlisted to compete. The award date was moved from October to February to give the competing teams time to prepare their proposals.

It is anticipated that sections B and D will take six to seven years to complete. Once a design-build team is selected, Putnam said project design, purchase of right-of-way and movement of existing utilities must occur before construction can begin, which he anticipates will take 18 months to two years.

“There’s going to be a time when both those major projects are going on at the same time,” Putnam said, but likely not until 2026.

More: I-26 Connector project hits key point; activists want safer bike/walking paths

A rendering of bike and walking paths on the refitted Bowen Bridge, part of plans for a massive rebuilding of Interstate 26 through Asheville.
A rendering of bike and walking paths on the refitted Bowen Bridge, part of plans for a massive rebuilding of Interstate 26 through Asheville.

What are the mitigation strategies?

Burton Street

Twenty seven mitigation strategies were identified in the 2018 Burton Street Neighborhood Plan that included commitments from both the N.C. Department of Transportation and the city. The majority of mitigation strategies will be implemented during the overall construction phase of sections B and D.

Among the NCDOT responsibilities identified in Putnam's presentation are:

  • Improving existing sidewalks to meet ADA design standards.

  • Improving sidewalk connections between commercial corridors and include a pedestrian path from Buffalo Street to Patton Avenue that would connect to a future greenway.

  • Install a sidewalk along Patton Avenue to connect a new pedestrian path to an existing transit stop.

  • Incorporate a Burton Street history mural on proposed I-26 connector sound wall if one is constructed.

City responsibilities:

  • Expand Burton Street Community Center programming to enhance the community garden programming through produce processing and preservation, nutrition education and a community farmers market/stand.

  • Conduct a feasibility study to consider a future Smith Mill Creek Greenway through the Burton Street neighborhood.

  • Implement traffic calming measures on Burton Street and Florida Avenue including improved speed humps and consistent speed limits throughout the neighborhood.

    • A traffic calming project to remove the existing speed humps and install new speed humps on Burton Street and Florida Avenue was completed in December 2021.

More: I-26 Connector Environmental Impact Statement released, major hurdle for project passed

Hillcrest

The I-26 Aesthetics Committee and NCDOT agreed upon the following items impacting Hillcrest, which will be incorporated into the final design of the I-26 Connector Project, according to Putnam:

  • Pedestrian connectivity and access will be improved with a new sidewalk from the entrance of the Hillcrest neighborhood to Patton Avenue including pedestrian signals and crosswalks at the intersection of Patton Avenue and the Hillcrest Connector street.

  • A new pedestrian bridge adjacent to the entrance to the Hillcrest neighborhood will provide access to Hill Street.

More: Construction contracts incoming for Vermont Ave. and other city sidewalks

More: Project Aspire: Planning board delays vote on massive downtown Asheville development

Montford (Riverside Cemetery)

Similarly, Putnam said, the following items will be incorporated into plans to address impacts to the Montford neighborhood in North Asheville:

  • The travel lanes adjacent to the cemetery have been lowered eliminating the need for a retaining wall.

  • Pre-construction surveys will be completed and continual monitoring on key monuments will occur throughout the construction phase.

  • New fencing will be installed that matches the existing fencing at the cemetery.

  • Possible tree planting in the right-of-way will be considered depending on the final design.

  • Construction noise will be limited during funerals.

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 help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville council hears I-26 updates. When will construction begin?