I-26/Airport Road exit revamp begins in May

ARDEN – Construction to rebuild the Interstate 26/Airport Road interchange is scheduled to begin during the second half of May and take roughly two years.

The state Department of Transportation has awarded an $8.8 million contract to build new exit ramps and reroute Airport Road traffic to create what is called a "diverging diamond" interchange.

Once it is completed, drivers approaching the interchange on Airport Road will veer to the left near one end of the bridge over I-26, cross above I-26 on the left side of the bridge and then either turn onto a ramp to get on I-26 or move back to the right to continue on Airport Road. Motorists making left turns at the interchange will not have to cross in front of oncoming traffic to do so.

The unusual layout was first used in a Missouri interchange that opened in 2009 and has been copied elsewhere. Engineers say diverging diamond interchanges result in smoother traffic flow and are cheaper than other fixes for crowded interchanges.

The interchange often gets congested during morning or afternoon rush hours. DOT says Airport Road, which is N.C. 280, averaged 32,000 cars a day northeast of the interchange and 26,000 to the southwest.

"We know it's busy. That's the reason we're building this thing is to help with the congestion that's out there," said Rick Tipton, division construction engineer for DOT.

The contract with Young & McQueen Grading Co. of Burnsville says workers must keep all lanes on Airport Road, I-26 and exit ramps open 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Tipton said he expects most of the work to be done in the evening or at night, reducing the impact on traffic.

However, toward the end of the project, "There'll be a time, a weekend or two out there, when we have to essentially do the traffic change" and close lanes, he said. "That's something that you can't just snap your fingers and make happen."

The existing bridge over I-26 dates from 1991 and will remain. Tipton said he expects through traffic on I-26 to be affected only slightly by the project.

Traffic signals will be located at the intersections of Airport Road and ramps near each end of the bridge, where traffic will flip-flop from one side of the road to the other.

The project will also change the main entrance to Asheville Regional Airport, shifting it somewhat to line up with an access road for J & S Cafeteria and Fairfield Inn that enters Airport Road from the east. A traffic light will be located at that intersection.

Airport spokeswoman Tina Kinsey said she does not expect big problems for people driving to the airport during construction and airport officials see a need for the project.

"It's a growing area. There's a lot of development going on here," she said. "We do think that over time congestion will be alleviated and there will be a smoother flow of traffic."