ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Swannanoa River Road (N.C. 81), a key Asheville corridor, is set to reopen Friday afternoon following six months of cleanup, restoration and construction.
The stretch between Biltmore Avenue and Bleachery Boulevard sustained severe damage when Tropical Storm Helene caused the Swannanoa River to flood, destroying not just the roadway but also critical infrastructure. The North Carolina Department of Transportation in partnership with the city of Asheville, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buncombe County, utility providers and contractors, worked to restore the corridor.
The reopening reconnects neighborhoods, including Oakley, to other parts of the city and provides an alternative to Fairview Road, Interstate 40 and I-240.
“We basically started from scratch,” Paul Roberts, NCDOT’s Buncombe County maintenance engineer said in a news release. “You’re not just looking at roadway items, but all the utilities like water lines, overhead cables, traffic signals. Everything was damaged.”
NCDOT crews and contractors repaired, rebuilt or reconstructed nearly every element of the 3-mile stretch from Biltmore Avenue to Tunnel Road. The portion between Fairview Road and Tunnel Road reopened in late January.
Roberts, along with NCDOT’s construction and traffic services teams, led the department’s efforts in the corridor. Crews rebuilt shoulders, the road base and approach areas to bridges, including the Wood Avenue bridge. They also installed guardrails, evaluated and replaced more than 15 drainage structures, and upgraded traffic signals and pedestrian infrastructure at Swannanoa River Road, South Tunnel Road and Wood Avenue.
“The improvements that were made, make it better than it was before,” Roberts said. “Restoring this vital corridor helps our communities with their recovery efforts. We appreciate the collaboration with all the parties that helped make this happen. It’s something that we’re proud of, and it’s something that should help the citizens and residents of Asheville.”
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