The Interstate 26 Connector project will create a new highway crossing over the French Broad River and will also include widening Interstate 240 in West Asheville and changing the configuration of the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange, known as “Malfunction Junction.” The project has been in discussion for nearly two decades. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013, and the estimated price tag for all the work comes in at anywhere from $500 million to more than $800 million, depending on exactly which course DOT decides to take.
At a September 2008 public hearing in Asheville, the N.C. Department of Transportation unveiled computer visualizations of the four alternatives being discussed for the part of the project getting the most attention from the public—the section of roadway that will cross the French Broad River. The videos give the viewer a bird’s eye view of each of the alternatives. The other two video snippets are an overview of the entire project and a short description of the one alternative developed by the Asheville Design Center.
Click below to watch the videos
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