Buried asbestos is once again an issue in Davidson as the North Carolina Department of Transportation begins work on a new road connection on the town’s west side.
Contractors have spent years removing asbestos-contaminated soil throughout the neighborhood. The contamination stems from the former Carolina Asbestos factory, which operated from the 1930s to about 1970 and produced insulation, brake linings and building shingles using the cancer-causing mineral.
Now, asbestos has been found along the route of a planned street connector through a wooded area intended to ease congestion on Main Street. Cleanup work began this week and is expected to take about a month. Workers will keep the site wet and install fencing to prevent dust from becoming airborne.
NCDOT consultant Donald Griffith told residents at a community meeting Monday that work will stop if dust cannot be fully controlled.
“If windbreaks and misting are insufficient for controlling any dust produced, operations will cease until conditions improve or additional measures are put in place to control it,” he said.
Crews will wear protective hazmat gear during the cleanup. After contaminated soil is removed, construction on the half-mile project will begin. Plans include the street connection, sidewalk and road improvements, and a new roundabout on Griffith Street, the main entrance into town.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2027.
You can learn more about the history of asbestos in Davidson in WFAE’s project "Asbestos Town."
