Classic Answer Man: Rotating spears of death? Department of Trimming? Metal Mountain?

Answer Man writes quite a bit about interstates in the Asheville area. Why? Because readers have so many burning questions about them. With the I-26 widening project well underway, we look back to see what Answer Man was writing about 10 years ago.

Question (November 2012): When people break down on the interstate, why do they hang something out the window? Southern redneck thing?

My answer: Only when it's a Confederate flag or NASCAR banner.

Real answer: Actually, a quick Internet search confirms this is pretty much a nationwide practice.

Sgt. Craig Harris with the N.C. Highway Patrol said it actually serves a couple of purposes.

"A white towel or something else hanging from the window is a distress signal, so this does alert somebody that they're in distress or their car is in distress," he said. "Also, at night, headlights will illuminate the white."

That can help motorists avoid hitting the vehicle.

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Harris said the white flag, obviously, is a symbol of surrender or distress, and it became tradition decades ago to hang a white rag or shirt from a rolled up window to indicate a car needed towing.

"It was a way to alert someone before the time of cell phones," Harris said. "It's nothing we told people to do. I think it's just always been something people have used."

Question (December 2012): Along I-26 between the I-40 junction and Brevard Road, N.C. DOT (I assume) has dumped a large quantity of broken asphalt, concrete and miscellaneous debris along the roadway. While they are known for roadside beautification projects, are they branching out and trying an experiment in roadside de-beautification?

My answer: I believe the de-beautification project started with the wholesale tree removal along I-240 in Asheville.

Real answer: Ricky A. Tipton, division construction engineer with the Asheville office of the DOT, said it's a temporary situation.

"The asphalt you see along Interstate 26 was placed there temporarily by our contractor who has begun work to replace the two bridges over Pond Road and Hominy Creek," Tipton said. "This asphalt will be removed from the area by the contractor at a later stage in the project by using Pond Road, which will lessen the impacts to traffic. Additionally, drivers will notice continued construction activity in this area while the bridges are being replaced over the next three years."

Question (March 2012): There was a lot of controversy about the N.C. DOT's cutting of trees along I-40 between Black Mountain and Asheville. Now, it looks like they've planted a lot of something with supportive wires and sticks, in the long divide around Swannanoa Exit 59. Can you find out what they've planted along there?

My answer: Sometimes you have to cut down a whole mess of trees to make things prettier.

Real answer: Ed Green, division maintenance engineer for Asheville's DOT office, said the idea was to clean out overgrown brush and trees that could fall in the roadway and replace them with smaller ornamentals.

"We have planted approximately 400 dogwoods and redbuds in this area at a cost of approximately $8,000," Green said.

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Question (December 2012): Why did DOT chop down all of the small trees in the median along I-240 between Tunnel Road and the intersection with I-40? When I returned from Thanksgiving break, they were all down. These were small trees that helped to block oncoming headlights at night and also helped the appearance of the I-240 median. These were not large trees that would present a danger of falling limbs with ice/snow, etc. Why?

My answer: Hey, it's not called the Department of Trimming for nothing.

Real answer: Ken Wilson, division operations engineer for the Asheville DOT office, said the removal of the trees in the median is part of a landscape renovation project.

"The health of the trees had declined significantly, resulting in numerous dead limbs within the tree's crowns," Wilson said. "The trees are being replaced with an extensive landscape planting. As folks can see, the replacement plantings are well under way. The landscape project should be complete by the end of next May."

Wilson said the project cost is $161,385 and is part of a statewide program of highway beautification.

"It has been our understanding from our tourism industry partners, especially in areas with many tourists, that this program is particularly important to their industry," he said. "Additionally, we receive much positive feedback from visitors, as well as local residents, expressing their enjoyment and appreciation of our highway beautification program."

Question (July 2012): Can you find out why there are no yield signs when you are entering either U.S. 23-74 and I-40? If you are going on either of these two expressways and you don't move over to let the cars and trucks enter, they are not very happy with you. Sometimes you get a fist shaken or a finger and sometimes some nasty language. Maybe you can get an answer.

My answer: I've found if you attach rotating spears of death to your wheel hubs, it helps immensely with a polite entry into traffic.

Real answer: Anna Henderson, division traffic engineer with the Asheville office of the N.C. Department of Transportation, investigated this one.

"We are not aware of any missing yield signs where ramps enter U.S. Highway 23-74 or Interstate 40," she said via email. " It could be that the reader has observed an auxiliary lane where yield signs are not necessary. Highway auxiliary lanes necessitate a merge condition where the lane ends; consequently, driver courtesy is encouraged to allow vehicles to move to the left when the lane ends."

She also said if you have specific locations that require more investigation, they'd be glad to look into it. Call the DOT office at (828) 251-6171.

Question (December 2012): Heading into Asheville on Interstate 26, just before you get to I-40 and I-240, there's a huge pile of scrap metal on the right side of the road. It keeps getting bigger and bigger. There's the body of an old red Porsche sitting there that gets your attention. What's going on with this? And is it permitted?

My answer: This is Asheville's latest tourist attraction, "Metal Mountain." If you scale it with less than 10 lacerations, you get a free refrigerator. Clarification: non-working refrigerator.

Real answer: Joe Garcia of Mountain Metals on Pond Road said it's just a temporary situation.

"We've had our (cutting) machine down since September, so we couldn't ship," he said. "We've got it back now, and we're working on the pile."

Mountain Metals, which does have the appropriate permits, Garcia said, buys scrap metals and sends them to smelting companies. Those companies pay more if the scrap is cut into three-foot sections, Garcia said.

When their metal shear broke, the pile began to grow, Garcia said.

"It's back up, and it's coming down little by little," he said.

Look for the pile to get back to normal size next month.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Classic Answer Man: Rotating spears of death? Department of Trimming?