Press release from the N.C. Department of Transportation:
A major intersection in Asheville will be receiving a significant upgrade starting next week.
A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation will begin construction of additional turn lanes at the intersection of Patton Avenue and New Leicester Highway on Tuesday night.
All work requiring a lane closure will be conducted between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. to reduce the impact of lane closures and allow traffic to flow normally through the intersection.
The intersection improvements include the addition of a left-turn lane from eastbound Patton Avenue to New Leicester Highway by narrowing and shifting the median and reconfiguring the lanes. A third left-turn lane from New Leicester Highway to Patton Avenue will be added by widening the west side of the road and reconfiguring the lanes.
“This will be a much needed project for the more than 30,000 drivers who drive through this intersection every day,” Division 13 Construction Engineer Randy McKinney said. “This is a project that NCDOT will be glad to have underway. This is a very busy intersection, and these improvements will reduce congestion and decrease the amount of time motorists spend waiting at the intersection.”
New storm drainage is included in the project, and the traffic signal system will be upgraded to include a camera on a central system that will help move traffic through the intersection.
The contractor, Wright Brothers Construction, should complete construction on the $1.5 million project by mid-November.
State officials remind motorists to obey detour signs, watch for construction information, stay alert and obey posted speed limits, especially through work zones.
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