From Staff Reports

A stretch of Interstate 40 in Asheville that closed on the last weekend in April for bridge rehabilitation was fully operational later than planned after issues led to a delayed reopening on April 29, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on April 29.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said I-40 West remained closed April 29 morning into the afternoon, from Hendersonville Road (Exit 50) to I-26 East (Exit 46A), after crews encountered issues with the last batch of latex-modified concrete early April 29 morning.

Work on that stretch of I-40 West had been expected to wrap up on April 29 morning, with the road being reopened. Instead, NCDOT reported the road reopened just before 2 p.m. April 29.

“Drivers were notified of a detour route along I-240 West for I-40 West being closed ahead,” News 13 noted.”Onramps from Hendersonville Road to I-40 West were closed with message boards alerting motorists to utilize I-40 East to I-240 West. The Brevard Road onramp to I-40 West was also be closed, and traffic was detoured to use the I-240 West detour route.

“NCDOT said this is the beginning of a $27.9 million interstate rehabilitation project that includes roadway resurfacing and bridge overlays.

“NCDOT said crews developed a traffic management plan to minimizes disruptions to daily traffic on I-40, but that plan requires closing stretches of I-40 for six weekends,” News 13 reported. “This work is the first of several in the coming weeks.”

On the first weekend of May, there was another closure so that workers can repour the concrete, NCDOT Division 13 construction engineer Nathan Moneyham noted.

“We’re still gonna have to go back and through the nights this week, not with a full closure but with a smaller lane closure and remove the asphalt and replace it with good concrete,” Moneyham told News 13. “We expect that we’ll be out there working on this bridge specifically probably later this week. Maybe as early as Tuesday night.”

“The closures we’re talking about for this weekend, weather permitting, will be repeated six different times in upcoming weekends,” NCDOT Chief Communications Officer David Uchiyama tod News 13. 

“It’ll be three weekends heading west — and three weekends for I-40 heading east,”Uchiyama added.

As construction continues, officials said the traffic plan includes phases with nighttime lane closures for the asphalt resurfacing, installation of a new guardrail, concrete drainage construction and pavement markers. 

NCDOT also stated that among alternative options was daytime closures, which, it said, would have extended the length of the contract and created more traffic disruptions.