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By Will Hofmann

Interstate 40 estimated at $1 billion to repair

The 12-mile section of I-40 along the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County that was largely washed away during Helene is expected to be the highest priced infrastructure project in WNC at an estimated $1 billion. The contract for the project was awarded on Oct. 31, and construction on the full recovery project started on Feb. 27, shortly before the road reopened to the public with a modified traffic pattern.

The road reopened in March with a 35 mph speed limit along the damaged section of the Pigeon River Gorge. The highway has been shifted to westbound lanes, where motorists travel in a one-lane pattern in each direction.

Two projects along U.S. Highway 19W

Two projects along U.S. Highway 19 West in Yancey County are estimated to cost $516 million. The “North Section” project spans 14 miles of the highway and will replace seven bridges and cost an estimated $318 million. The “South Section” project will repair 10 miles of road and repair 10 bridges and is estimated to cost $198 million.

Construction along both sections is expected to start in September.

Repairs near Chimney Rock

The project along U.S. Highway 64 and U.S. Highway 74A near Chimney Rock in Rutherford and Henderson County spans 2.6 miles and aims to restore a section of Main Street in Chimney Rock, a bridge connecting U.S. Highway 64 and Southside Drive and the U.S. Highway 64 bridge in Bat Cave. The project is estimated to cost $286 million, with construction starting in August.

Repairs between Gerton and Bat Cave

A U.S. Highway 74A project between Gerton and Batcave spans approximately 5 miles in Henderson County, according to the project’s NCDOT public input page. It will cost an estimated $126 million, a state presentation shows. Construction is anticipated to start in June.

Another project will restore a two-lane traffic pattern along U.S. Highway 64 leading to Bat Cave. It is estimated to cost $32 million with construction starting March 3.

North Carolina Highway 197 South

Roughly 30 miles of roadway repairs along North Carolina Highway 197 South in Yancey County are estimated to cost $291 million, according to state estimates. It will require the repair or replacement of 11 bridges. The project also includes repairs to 20 miles of 19 secondary roads, according to the project’s public input page. Construction is expected to begin in August.

Toe-Nolichucky River Basin repairs

Additional repairs along 18 miles of North Carolina Highway 197 in the Toe-Nolichucky River Basin in Mitchell County are expected to cost $345 million with construction expected to start in August. Construction will include the replacement of seven bridges.

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Click here for original post