On the afternoon of Friday, April 4, the NCDOT will reopen Swannanoa River Road from Biltmore Avenue to Bleachery Boulevard after Helene wreaked havoc on the roadway in September. The difficult restoration process involved partners from the City of Asheville, Army Corps of Engineers, Buncombe County, and their contractors.
This restoration follows the late January reopening of a stretch from Tunnel to Fairview Roads. NCDOT Buncombe County Maintenance Engineer, Paul Roberts, said that crews “started from scratch,” having to not only repair the roadway, but repair or reconstruct water lines, overhead cables, traffic signals, shoulders, and drainage structures along the three-mile stretch.
A new signal system, lane markings, and pedestrian improvements were also implemented at the intersection of Swannanoa River Road, South Tunnel Road, and Wood Avenue to “make it better than it was before,” according to Roberts.
