RALEIGH, N.C. -- The long-awaited reopening of a bridge on U.S. Route 70 is set to alleviate traffic congestion for the first time since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the area. The bridge, located just east of the Asheville Veterans Affairs Hospital, has been closed for months following significant repairs needed after the storm.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced the completion of repairs, detailing how the hurricane compromised its structural elements and eroded away the eastern approach. "The bridge, located just east of the Asheville Veterans Affairs Hospital, will carry traffic for the first time since Hurricane Helene damaged structural elements and scoured away the eastern approach," noted NCDOT's announcement.
Before the hurricane, the bridge served as a major thoroughfare, with roughly 16,000 vehicles using it daily. The extended closure led to increased traffic congestion on nearby highways, including Interstate 40 and Interstate 240, as residents sought alternate routes.
Tom Veazey, the resident engineer of Division 13, explained the extensive rehabilitation process. "From the ground up, we identified we had to rehab the substructure, then come behind and build a reinforced retaining wall to establish the roadway again," he said. The repairs came at a hefty price tag of around $900,000, carried out by IPC Structures, which partnered with APAC-Harrison for the resurfacing phase of the project.
With the reopening of U.S. Route 70, there are now no other U.S. highways closed within Buncombe County. This is welcome news for local residents and commuters, providing much-needed relief to the traffic bottlenecks caused by the bridge’s prolonged closure.
Looking at the broader picture, NCDOT crews and contractors have successfully reopened more than 1,230 roads across western North Carolina, including over 120 roads just this past week alone. Despite these efforts, there remain fewer than 190 closures still attributed to Hurricane Helene. Many of these remaining closures are on secondary roads, like stretches of N.C. 81 and N.C. 197, continuing to impact local travel.
The chaos of natural disasters often highlights how vulnerable infrastructure can be. Nick Short, interim director of NCDOT's Aviation Division, reflected on the importance of maintaining operational highways during such emergencies. "With what we saw during Helene, Florence, and other natural disasters, when you're not able to use highway infrastructure to get goods and assets to an area, it seriously limits your ability to provide life-saving care and quick response to people in need," he stated.
While the new bridge on U.S. Route 70 marks significant progress, it encapsulates the broader efforts of state agencies to restore infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The reopening not only aids local traffic but bolsters the resilience of emergency response capabilities throughout the region.
Future developments, including new drone technology for disaster responses, are also being implemented as part of NCDOT's strategy to anticipate and react to such events. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded $1.1 million to support these initiatives, which will play a part in enhancing the state's readiness for storms and aiding recovery operations.
Overall, the reopened bridge stands as both a practical necessity for local transportation and a symbol of recovery from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. It shows how infrastructure can be restored even after severe damage, reminding the community of the resilience and strength of state and local agencies working together for the common good.
