Update: I-40 West section reopens after construction delay
A North Carolina Department of Transportation news release April 29 informed residents that there had been unexpected delays to April 26-29 weekend construction on Interstate 40. Now, the section has reopened. Here's what to know.
More: I-40 West section will be closed April 26-29: What to know about detours, more
Update: I-40 reopens
According to the NCDOT's DriveNC site, I-40 has reopened earlier than expected after issues with concrete application caused delays. The delay was expected to cause the section of highway to remain closed until roughly 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, Tuesday, April 30.
I-40 West from Hendersonville Road (Exit 50) to I-26 East (Exit 46A) is reopened.
Why was I-40 still closed Monday?
A contractor for NCDOT faced issues with the last batch of latex-modified concrete applied early Monday morning, the release said.
The specialized type of concrete is used on bridge decks to protect the steel rebar inside, and without the proper mix, the concrete does not set correctly, and the mix is unable to safely sustain traffic.
No further detail was given on the exact nature of the issues.
More: Update on Blue Ridge Road, I-40 interchange: Construction to begin in 2025
Where was I-40 closed?
Crews closed I-40 West from Hendersonville Road (Exit 50) to I-26 East (Exit 46A) last weekend for repairs.
What detours were there during the I-40 West closure?
NCDOT says message boards are in place notifying motorists to use I-240 West. Message boards at onramps from Hendersonville Road to I-40 West advise motorists use I-40 East to I-240 West. The Brevard Road onramp to I-40 West is also closed, with traffic directed to utilize the I-240 West detour route.
Why was I-40 closed?
The weekend closure was intended to allow contract crews to begin rehabilitating bridges and resurfacing between Hendersonville Road and I-26, according to the initial NCDOT news release. Crews from DBA Harrison Construction Co. of Asheville will complete this work, marking the beginning of a $27.9 million interstate rehabilitation project including roadway resurfacing and bridge overlays.
Issues with a Monday batch of concrete caused a delay of one day in the timeline of this project.
The project will also address cracked and delaminated concrete on bridges including piers, and improve the riding surface of the four I-40 bridges over Hominy Creek and two over the French Broad River, NCDOT said. The contract states that the project should be completed in spring 2026.
North Carolina Department of Transportation traffic engineers with the project team and contractor have developed a traffic management plan to minimize disruptions to daily traffic on I-40, but the plan does require closing stretches of I-40 for six weekends in total to safely and efficiently repair the bridges.
Going forward this year, the traffic plan includes phases involving nighttime lane closures for asphalt resurfacing, installation of new guardrail, concrete drainage construction and pavement markers.
This type of closure was chosen in lieu of regular daytime closures, which would have extended the length of the contract and created more traffic disruptions.
The contractor will also install pedestrian protections for users of the French Broad River Greenway under the full width of the bridges over the greenway, NCDOT said. The protection will be installed during night time hours, starting as soon as this week. These instillations will occur the greenway is closed to reduce impacts to users.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: I-40 West in Asheville reopens April 29 after construction delays
