Well, everyone knew it was bound to happen one day.
That’s the opening line from Balsam Range’s hit bluegrass song “Last Train to Kitty Hawk.”
Much like everyone in the song understood that the Wright Brothers would eventually make flight a reality and thus make passenger trains nothing more than a novelty, anyone who drives US 64 from Franklin to Highlands, or vice versa, understands that road will not last forever.
Mother Nature dumped more than four inches of rain on Macon County in less than 12 hours Monday night and into Tuesday. The heavy rain caused flooding in several areas, and then an alert came across just after 1 p.m. that US 64 was closed due to the shoulder washing away in the narrowest part of the Cullasaja Gorge.
While there is no timetable for when the repairs can be made and the road reopened, it is almost certain to take several days. The NC Department of Transportation dispatched a crew to look at the road damage and begin repairs as soon as the weather started to cooperate.
If you have ever driven US 64 between 7-8 a.m., or between 5-6 p.m., the road’s necessity can not be overstated. With a majority of Highlands workforce coming from Franklin via a daily commute, anything that throws a wrench in those travel plans is a problem.
Motorists have been asked to use Buck Creek Road as a detour, which comes with its own set of logistical issues, or take US 441 to NC 106 in Dillard, Georgia, as an alternate route.
Buck Creek, which is narrow, winding, and lacks guardrails in several areas isn’t suited for added congestion during commute times. NC 106 is a much safer option, but is already the only rout to Highlands for commercial tractor trailers, and sees its own share of bumper-to-bumper traffic at peak times.
US 64 being closed is going to be a headache, no matter how fast the NCDOT gets it fixed. And even once the repairs are made, keep in mind, that road won’t last forever on the side of a mountain. This particular failure may not be catastrophic, but Mother Nature always wins.