New highway proposal for Asheville NC would benefit trucking industry

The trucking industry always benefits from plans provide important future congestion relief and transportation improvements for Asheville, NC is a proposal being presented by the N.C. Department of Transportation this month. Improvements to the city's highway infrastructure including the addition of the proposed I-26 connector are under review which could result in a new seven-mile long stretch of interstate for the city greatly benefitting commercial freight movement for full truckload carriers transporting via the city.

An open house and formal public hearing in Asheville will be held next week on November 16 to review the proposals according to officials. If approved the plans would offer a new road to connect I-26 south of Asheville directly with highways to the north of Asheville, along with improvements to I-240 which should reduce congestion on the west side of the city.

The detailed plan from NCDOT shows connecting I-26 in southwest Asheville to U.S. 19-23-70 in northwest Asheville plus upgrades and widening for I-240 from I-40 to Patton Avenue. Initial budget estimates for the plan show the project would cost in the region of $700 million depending on the final options chosen.

Asheville is a major arterial trucking lane in western North Carolina for freight heading into and out of Tennesse, Kentucky, and the midwest along with trucks heading east and southeast towards Charlotte, Greenville and points beyond. If approved the project would commence property acquisition in 2019 with a start date of 2021.
Full details of the proposal including maps, statistics, and a comments forum are available via the NCDOT website page for the I-26 connector study.