From weather delays to supply chain issues, there are countless factors that can impact a construction project. While some risks can be foreseen and planned for in advance, other situations can occur that even the most thorough risk assessment plan does not account for. Such was the case during the widening of Interstate 26 (I-26) in Henderson and Buncombe counties in southwest North Carolina.
Interstate 26 is a north-south highway that runs between Kingsport, Tennessee, and Charleston, South Carolina. The route runs the entire width of North Carolina.
The section of I-26 being widened is near Asheville, North Carolina, less than an hour's drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains. It also intersects Interstate 40, the cross-country interstate that runs from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California.
The average daily traffic within the project limits is 85,000 and is regularly congested. When accidents occur on I-26 in the project area, it can lead to backups that extend 6 to 8 miles.
The project will widen 16.9 miles of I-26. Because of the great length of the interstate being widened, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) broke the project into two. The southern portion of the project involves widening a 7.8-mile stretch of the interstate to six lanes in Henderson County. The remaining 9.1 miles are part of the northern portion and will be widened from four to eight lanes in Buncombe County.
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Other project elements on the southern portion include:
- Removal of 10 bridges and overpasses that were no longer compatible with the interstate
- Construction of eight new bridges
- Installation of weigh in motion (WIM) technology
According to measurement technology company, the Kistler Group, WIM technology is "designed to capture vehicle weights, and axle loads in particular, as vehicles drive on the road. Through a combination of force sensors and presence sensors, loads can be captured and recorded even at high speeds and can be attributed to individual vehicles. Parameters such as total weight, axle loads, and speed can be determined via electronic analysis. WIM acts as a foundation for automated weight checks and weight-dependent road fees."
"WIM is a safety addition, as it has been shown to reduce accidents in the other parts of the state where we have it," said NCDOT Resident Engineer Mike Patton, who is overseeing the southern portion of the project. "If there's an issue with a truck such as substandard tires or treads, we put the truck out of service."
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NCDOT completely renovated two new rest areas — one in each direction, almost exactly opposite of the interstate from each other. There is also a large state property off I-26, where trucks can be put out of service and wait until they are fixed. While the truck may be off the road for a few hours, the safety improvement benefits everyone.
As of this writing, the southern portion is substantially complete. The team is putting down the final striping.
Other project elements on the northern portion include:
- Removal of a segmental bridge over I-26, which is incompatible with the widened interstate
- Construction of a new segmental bridge
- Construction of a new exit off I-26 — which was added to the scope after the project was underway — to provide access to current and future growth in the area and relieve congestion at the Long Shoals and Brevard Road exits
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In both portions, CCTV cameras are being installed to aid traffic management. In addition, broadband is being installed.
"Some of this area is rural, and they lack broadband," said NCDOT Resident Engineer Luke Middleton, who is overseeing the northern portion of the project.
Over the course of the I-26 widening project, the team has overcome many challenges. One of which is that they had to deal with the environmentally sensitive French Broad River, which flows through both counties (as well as neighboring Tennessee).
The project connects with the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is also environmentally sensitive. Work done in the area (including installing a new bridge) meant coordinating with the National Park Service.
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Another challenge involved the typical maintenance of traffic issues.
If the above issues were the extent of the challenges, the I-26 widening would have been pretty standard. But with the construction plan for the I-26 widening beginning in fall 2019 and concluding in fall 2026, the early stages of this project coincided with the pandemic and shutdowns.
The federal government and state governments developed standards to deal with the pandemic, but they were fluid, not set in stone. Construction teams had to adjust on the fly and try to develop a new normal.
The team working on the I-26 widening turned the situation into a positive, from a construction standpoint.
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"For a month, traffic was nearly nothing, though it has since returned," Patton said. "We were able to do lane closures and got a lot done during that month."
The next issue that this team (and others around the country) have had to deal with is inflation. Sticking to a budget, particularly since prices have risen from the pandemic onward, has been difficult. To remedy this, the construction team was given an increase in the budget due to material escalation.
The team weathered the supply chain issues fairly well and was able to progress with the work as expected.
Then in late September 2024, Hurricane Helene dropped 30-plus inches of rain in parts of North Carolina, close to the project. Nearby towns like Bat Cave and Chimney Rock were essentially wiped off the map. NCDOT estimates its Helene related repairs to cost $5 billion.
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"There was so much damage that resources were pulled from every project to deal with emergencies throughout the state," Middleton said.
A section of I-40 straddling the Tennessee state line — one county west of Buncombe (home to the northern portion of the project) — closed for five months after the hurricane washed away sections of both eastbound lanes. The closure meant traffic was diverted onto other roads, including I-26.
"Traffic on I-26 has been a nightmare," NCDOT Spokesman David Uchiyama said. "When anything happens on I-40, ripples are felt elsewhere in the system.”
To accommodate the extra traffic, the team does not do any work during the day that will impact traffic. Instead, they do this work at night when there are lane and complete interstate closures.
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"My part of the project was completely underwater," Patton said. "There were downed trees and lots of damage to guard rail, which we just put up."
He added that the hurricanes destroyed one third of the right of way fence. The team also had to repair the underbelly of two bridges. On the northern part of the project, there was water across the road.
Patton and Middleton estimate that the projects sustained more than $1 million in damage.
Despite the major challenges the I-26 widening has incurred, both portions have progressed well. As noted above, the southern portion is in the final stages.
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"We would have been finished six months ago if not for the hurricane," Patton said.
Part of the credit goes to the general contractor in Henderson County, a joint venture of Archer Western and Wright Brothers Contracting.
"We had a good working relationship and were able to work through the issues and problems that typically arise on a project of this size," Patton said.
Fluor-United Joint Venture is the general contractor for the northern portion.
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"They've been very resilient, particularly when it comes to working through the addition of the exit," Middleton said.
The completion date on the northern portion was extended to summer 2027 due to the new exit. Middleton pointed out that the contractor is hoping to get I-26 opened by early 2026.
The construction budget was originally set at $531 million. It has risen to just over $700 million, primarily due to the hurricane, new exit, and inflation.
When the long-running widening of the I-26 project is complete, it will draw traffic off local roads that were not intended to handle that type of traffic. There will be less congestion on I-26, allowing traffic to flow more freely and improving safety.
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- Owner: North Carolina Department of Transportation
- General Contractor, Southern Portion: Archer Western, Chicago, Illinois; Wright Brothers Contracting, Charleston, Tennessee
- General Contractor, Northern Portion: Fluor-United, Irving, Texas
- Designer, Both Sections: HNTB, Kansas City, Missouri
