Several ramps along Interstate 26 in Asheville will be closed beginning this week as the I-26 Connector project gets underway.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said the closures will be permanent as the project is expected to reshape the city’s highways.
Beginning the evening of Wednesday, April 16, the Riverside Drive entrance ramp to Interstates 26 and 240 will be closed. Drivers should continue north on Riverside Drive to Broadway Street near UNC Asheville to access I-26 East.
On Thursday night, April 17, the exit ramp from Interstates 26 and 240 to Hill Street will close. Drivers should stay on I-26 and get off at the Broadway Street exit for access to Hill Street and Riverside Drive.
NCDOT spokesperson Stephanie Johnson said the goal of the I-26 Connector project is “to improve traffic flow, safety and better connect the Asheville area for residents, businesses and visitors.”
“As construction gets underway, we know there will be short-term inconveniences for residents and drivers,” Johnson said in a statement. “However, we’re committed to keeping the public informed and minimizing disruptions as much as possible throughout the process.”
Additional closures will take place in early May, with exact dates and detour information to be announced.
Among the expected closures, the exit ramp to the Westgate Bridge on eastbound Patton Avenue will be closed.
The Interstate 26 Connector project has been in the works since the late 1980s and is expected to be completed in 2031. The $1.8 billion project consists of seven miles of highway that will link I-26 in southwest Asheville with US 19/23/70 in the city’s northwest.
Supporters say the long-anticipated overhaul will alleviate congestion by separating interstate traffic from local traffic, particularly along the Jeff Bowen Bridge.
But some community members have opposed parts of the project, including a flyover above Patton Avenue that was rejected by local architects and planners in earlier phases of the process but later reinstated by NCDOT. Dozens of local residents and businesses will also be displaced by the project.
