The North Carolina Department of Transportation takes a lot of heat, both from the public and from local government bodies.
Road construction projects are easy to make a joke about and to be completely fair, the NCDOT doesn’t exactly have a sterling track record for being an efficient organization. During the 2019-20 fiscal year, the DOT overspent its budget and had to halt all projects, which caused a lot of egg on face moments for the department’s leadership.
Fortunately for residents of Western North Carolina, NCDOT Division 14 (which covers 10 WNC counties) does a good job of listening to its constituents and making concessions when appropriate. Once such example is about to happen in Highlands, where the DOT has put a plan in place to mill and repave Main Street block-by-block during overnight hours in March as part of a larger plan that includes repaving US 64 toward Cashiers and NC 28 toward the South Carolina state line.
During the initial planning stages of the project, the plan was to close Main Street one direction, mill and repave the entire stretch, and then close the opposite lane. The estimated impact on Main Street was projected to be approximately one week.
Under the new plan, the impact of having each block closed in both directions will be approximately 24 hours per block (2nd Street to 3rd Street, 3rd to 4th, etc). For Main Street business owners, the thought of one day of disruption is certainly more palatable than an entire week.
Of course roadwork is weather dependent and certain blocks may end up being closed for more than a day, but weather delays with an entire lane closed would be equally upsetting.
The other good news regarding the much-needed repaving of Main Street is that the job must be completed by April 1. According to mayor Patrick Taylor, NCDOT officials are optimistic it will be done even sooner than that, and thus not effect the summer tourism season.
Let’s hope Mother Nature cooperates and Highlands has a beautiful, safe, restriped Main Street by Easter.