Ministry of Transportation to make possible the I – 26 connector scheme change

ASHEVILLE — State officials say they are changing an alternative being considered for the Interstate 26 Connector at the request of city officials and residents, and will look at other suggested changes.

N.C. Department of Transportation officials said Monday they will study routing I-26 traffic underneath Patton Avenue just west of the Smoky Park Bridge, rather than relying on a bridge over Patton Avenue.

Members of a group that helped develop the so-called Alternative 4B said the shift dramatically improves chances Patton Avenue would become a route for pedestrians and bicyclists moving between downtown and West Asheville.

“That’s what we’ve wanted all along,” said Alan McGuinn, a member of the Asheville Design Center, a group of architects, planners and other residents.

“It’s something that the city has expressed interest in seeing, and it’s a little bit less expensive,” said Vince Rhea, a DOT engineer working on the project.

The project will significantly change traffic patterns in and around Smoky Park Bridge, used by 94,000 vehicles a day last year.

DOT is studying several alternative routes for the connector project, which would include a new crossing of the French Broad River north of Smoky Park Bridge, widening Interstate 240 in West Asheville and reconfiguring the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange on the city’s west side.

The action by DOT does not mean Alternative 4B will be chosen, but it might improve its chances. The high projected cost has been an issue for the alternative. DOT engineers say the change might cut the cost of building 4B.

Estimates provided by DOT in September 2008 indicated that Alternative 4B would be the most expensive of the ones considered, costing $57 million more than the next most expensive alternative on the list and $203 million more than the cheapest.

Asheville Design Center has pushed for its alternative in part to encourage people to walk or bicycle to and from downtown and to create an attractive gateway for downtown.

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A bridge over Patton Avenue would block views of downtown from West Asheville and be “a big visual barrier that kind of detracts from the idea of a big gateway,” McGuinn said.

Plus, “Walking over (I-26) is probably more comfortable than walking under the interstate,” he said.

McGuinn attended a meeting Oct. 1 with local officials and DOT engineers at which the DOT officials said they would make the change.

“They have been listening,” he said.

DOT engineer Derrick Weaver said the agency initially considered building I-26 over Patton Avenue because of concerns that it would be more difficult to keep traffic moving through the area if I-26 passes underneath Patton Avenue.

Private engineers working with city government to refine Alternative 4B also suggested a bridge over Patton.

“After that was made public, we got comments from the Asheville Design Center and others that they were not excited about that,” he said.

New traffic projections changed DOT’s thinking about how ramps in the area might run, clearing the way for changing the alternative, Weaver said.

DOT plans to complete a supplemental environmental study looking at 4B in the spring. It will have a public hearing and a public comment period of at least a month or two, then decide in the fall which alternative to build, Weaver said.

DOT’s current schedule, which is subject to change, calls for it to begin buying land for the project in 2012. Actual construction would probably begin later this decade.

A bridge over Patton Avenue would block views of downtown from West Asheville and be “a big visual barrier that kind of detracts from the idea of a big gateway,” McGuinn said.

Plus, “Walking over (I-26) is probably more comfortable than walking under the interstate,” he said.

McGuinn attended a meeting Oct. 1 with local officials and DOT engineers at which the DOT officials said they would make the change.

“They have been listening,” he said.

DOT engineer Derrick Weaver said the agency initially considered building I-26 over Patton Avenue because of concerns that it would be more difficult to keep traffic moving through the area if I-26 passes underneath Patton Avenue.

Private engineers working with city government to refine Alternative 4B also suggested a bridge over Patton.

“After that was made public, we got comments from the Asheville Design Center and others that they were not excited about that,” he said.

New traffic projections changed DOT’s thinking about how ramps in the area might run, clearing the way for changing the alternative, Weaver said.

DOT plans to complete a supplemental environmental study looking at 4B in the spring. It will have a public hearing and a public comment period of at least a month or two, then decide in the fall which alternative to build, Weaver said.

DOT’s current schedule, which is subject to change, calls for it to begin buying land for the project in 2012. Actual construction would probably begin later this decade.

By Mark Barrett