Hot Springs in Madison County is being impacted by work on Interstate 40 in Haywood County. The N.C. Department of Transportation has begun a two-year project to completely replace two bridges on Interstate 40 in Haywood County. NC Department of Transportation recommended traffic to and from Tennessee to either funnel into one lane on I-40 or take I-26 to I-81 to avoid the work zone. Drivers in our area often go to Mars Hill then take Hwy 25/70 to Hot Springs to bypass I-40 congestion when going to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. Apparently lots of other drivers are now finding this route, instead of staying on I-26 into Tennessee, causing Hot Springs to become a “hot spot” of traffic congestion. On a recent weekend Hot Springs police had to stop vehicles in the downtown area just to allow pedestrians to cross the street. They are now looking into installing a temporary red light near the train tracks in downtown Hot Springs. For the next two years we can expect to see increased traffic on I-26 and the roads through Mars Hill and Madison County as people seek alternative routes to Tennessee. Changes on the I-40 bridges will include wildlife fencing, with jump-outs, that create safe passage for bears, deer, elk and smaller animals from one side of I-40 to the other.
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