Travelers on Interstate 26 from Mars Hill to the Tennessee border may soon experience some lane closures.
The N.C. Department of Transportation says they will embark on an interstate maintenance project that is slated to start in the coming weeks and expected to be completed in September 2024.
Bridges will be rehabilitated and drainage boxes replaced from the Tennessee state line to the U.S. 19 interchange at Exit 9.
The first phase will include repairing joints on the bridge over Big Laurel Road — one of the tallest bridges in North Carolina — near the Wolf Laurel exit, Exit 3. Additional tasks in the project include removing and replacing bridge decks, painting steel beams and other necessary updates. Traffic impacts are expected to be minimal during most travel times due to the three existing lanes in both directions and an average of less than 10,000 vehicles per day. The contract was awarded to the Buckeye Bridge Company, from Canton, in fall 2022.
Transportation officials remind drivers to remain alert, merge early, and obey all posted traffic signs.
