We are delighted to note that the widening of I-26 near Asheville, which started in October 2019 and is on schedule to conclude in spring 2024, has reached the midpoint of construction, according to project engineers who gave an update on May 24.

What’s more, the engineers said that the project is coming in under — or on — budget for the two contracts, which cover Buncombe and Henderson counties. (Fluor-United Joint Venture is the main project contractor for the Buncombe County portion of the project, while Archer-Wright Joint Venture is the main contractor in Henderson County.)

Reportedly, the project is on time. Of course, lots of work remains to be done, as one would expect, given that it is a collosal project costing more than $534 million.

The 18-mile project will widen I-26 from four lanes to eight from just north of Brevard Road in Buncombe County to U.S. 64 in Hendersonville, and then from four to six lanes from U.S. 64 to U.S. 25.

Overseeing the Henderson County portion of the project, which has a contract price of $271 million, is Michael Patton, Division 14 resident engineer with the NCDOT. 

Meanwhile, Luke Middleton, a resident engineer RK&K Engineering, offered details on the Buncombe segment, which is projected to cost $263 million, in a recent story on a May 24 I-26 update meeting appearing in the Asheville Citizen Times.

Specifically, citing Middleton, the ACT reported that “workers have been closing one side of the former interstate and directing all traffic onto the other side to facilitate the widening. Crews remove the old pavement, widen the base and then lay down new concrete.

“The actual construction part of the project — removing the old roadway, widening the base, laying down acres and acres of new concrete — is on schedule to finish in late 2023, possibly November, if all goes smoothly.”

The ACT then quoted Middleton as saying, “That date can be affected by certain things that are unforeseen at this time.”

To that, the newspaper added, “Also, they have to allot six months for landscaping and vegetation work, so that would push the final finish date to May 2024.”

Meanwhile, Patton was quoted by the ACT as saying that “the original construction finish date was November 2023. My date is May of 2024.”

Middleton also was quoted by the ACT as saying the contractor on the Buncombe portion “redid the traffic management plan and it saved $17 million.” NCDOT and the contractor will split those savings in half. Part of the redesign was eliminating five retaining walls and partially eliminating two others.

Further, the ACT reported, “Motorists will notice a large blue tower going up just south of the existing Blue Ridge Parkway bridge. The structure is a lift tower for segments of the new bridge that will start going up in June. When the new bridge is completed, the old bridge will be demolished.”

It is certainly noteworthy that I-26, along with I-40, is a key major traffic corridor serving Western North Carolina and, when completed, will provide a fast and easy connection to — and between — the burgeoning cities of Asheville and Hendersonville.