Weekend Closure Coming to I-40 West in Asheville

Asheville -- April 26, 2024: North Carolina Department of Transportation: A stretch of Interstate 40 will close this weekend,

weather permitting, allowing contract crews to begin rehabilitating bridges and resurfacing between Hendersonville Road and I-26.  

Crews from DBA Harrison Construction Company of Asheville plan to close I-40 West from Hendersonville Road (Exit 50) to I-26 East (Exit 46A) from 8 p.m. Friday through Monday at 6 a.m. 

This marks the beginning of a $27.9 million interstate rehabilitation project that includes roadway resurfacing and bridge overlays. It will also address spalling concrete on bridge substructure components — including the piers — and improve the riding surface of the four I-40 bridges over Hominy Creek and two bridges over the French Broad River. The contract calls for completion in the spring of 2026.  

A detour route will notify motorists to use I-240 West for I-40 West being closed ahead. Onramps from Hendersonville Road to I-40 West will be closed with message boards alerting motorists to utilize I-40 East to I-240 West. The Brevard Road onramp to I-40 West will also be closed with traffic detoured to utilize the I-240 West detour route. 

NCDOT traffic engineers, the project team, and the contractor have developed a traffic management plan that minimizes disruptions to daily traffic on I-40. But that plan requires closing stretches of I-40 for six weekends to safely and quickly work on the bridges. 

As construction progresses through the year, the traffic plan includes phases with nighttime lane closures for the asphalt resurfacing, installation of a new guardrail, concrete drainage construction, and pavement markers. Alternative options included regular daytime closures which would have extended the length of the contract and created more traffic disruptions.

The contractor will also install pedestrian protections for users of the French Broad River Greenway under the full width of the bridges over the greenway. The protection will be installed during night-time hours, starting as soon as this week, when the greenway is closed to reduce impacts to users.