Transportation officials are hoping the project — one of the most expensive in state history — will lead the crucial highway to a more resilient future.

The new location means passengers can deplane, retrieve their checked bags and then pick up a rental car without having to backtrack like they currently do.

Gov. Josh Stein and Lake Lure Mayor Carol Pritchett joined local, state and federal officials to announce the long-awaited reopening of the lake, 20 months after Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina.

Washington has sent $686 million to help western North Carolina counties rebuild their water infrastructure. But the money is far from enough, Stein said.

More than 1,000 people weighed in on the long-anticipated project, which aims to turn an abandoned rail line into a walking and biking trail connecting North and South Carolina.

The site provides real-time bus tracking, including departure information and service alerts for specific stops and lines.

The move is the latest twist in the battle over the county’s healthcare marketplace, where long-dominant Mission Hospital has faced multiple federal sanctions.

The city is gathering feedback from community members as it eyes two potential locations for a new pickleball facility.

No injuries were reported, according to the Asheville Fire Department. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The event comes more than 30 years after planning on the $1.8 billion project began.