ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The North Carolina Department of Transportation says widening of Interstate 26 from Brevard Road to the Henderson County line could begin in September.
The DOT told news outlets Wednesday the $263-million, five-year contract has been awarded to a contractor in South Carolina.
The project will expand the interstate from four lanes to eight, with four lanes going in each direction, doubling its capacity.
DOT says traffic counts for 2017 list parts of I-26 carrying between 84,000 to 67,000 vehicles a day.
Other parts of the project include multiple retaining walls and drainage system upgrades. Two lanes of traffic will stay open in each direction during the day.
The project’s second phase will widen I-26 from Airport Road to Four Seasons Boulevard. Bidding for that contract starts in the fall.
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