A key corridor in Asheville is back in service as of Friday afternoon, as Swannanoa River Road (N.C. 81) reopened between Biltmore Avenue and Bleachery Boulevard.
The reopening follows six months of cleanup, restoration and construction after Hurricane Helene flooded the Swannanoa River and destroyed much more than just the road itself. The corridor was heavily damaged — including water lines, traffic signals, overhead cables and other infrastructure.
Multiple agencies were involved in the rebuilding effort, including the City of Asheville, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buncombe County, and utility providers, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Reopening the highway reconnects several neighborhoods, including Oakley, with other parts of the city and gives drivers an alternative to Fairview Road, Interstates 40 and 240. New lane markings and a signal system have also been installed.
“We basically started from scratch,” said Paul Roberts, NCDOT Buncombe County maintenance engineer. “You’re not just looking at roadway items, but all the utilities like water lines, overhead cables, traffic signals. Everything was damaged.”
According to the release, NCDOT crews and contractors repaired, rebuilt or reconstructed nearly every part of the 3-mile corridor between Biltmore Avenue on the western end and Tunnel Road on the eastern end. A portion from Fairview Road to Tunnel Road reopened earlier, in late January.
