ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Drivers in Asheville face a fresh set of lane closures, detours and short traffic stops from Sunday, Oct. 18, through Thursday, Oct. 22, as construction on the Interstate 26 Connector keeps moving.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said the work will reach Riverside Drive, Patton Avenue and both I-40 and I-240. Agency spokesperson Stephanie Johnson said the overall project is still on schedule.
On eastbound I-40, the right lane will be closed each day of the work window while crews handle drainage. The Exit 44 ramp is also set to shut down every night at about 10 p.m., sending traffic on to Exit 47 at the Farmers Market. The department did not say whether that means the on-ramp, the off-ramp or both.
Sunday night brings the heaviest disruption. Trucks will be hauling rock away from the job site, so the right lane of U.S. 23 northbound will be shut near the Broadway exit, Exit 25. Overnight, between 9 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, expect traffic to be held in rolling roadblocks lasting about 30 minutes apiece on I-240, both ways, and on the stretch of Patton Avenue running from Regent Park Boulevard to the western end of the Captain Jeff Bowen Bridge.
Both of those roads matter to daily trips. I-240 is the urban loop that ties downtown to I-26 and I-40, and Patton Avenue serves as the west downtown gateway.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 20 and 21, daytime work will put flaggers on Riverside Drive. That road is the spine of the River Arts District along the French Broad River.
When finished, the connector will tie I-26 on the southwest side of Asheville to U.S. 19/23/70 on the northwest side. Completion is expected in late 2031.
Section: More Asheville NC crime news
Filed under: Asheville NC Traffic News
