I-26 Citizens' Coalition
Community Members Fighting in Opposition to the I-26 Overpass Over Patton Ave.
I-26 Connector Project Background
The future bypass connecting I-26 change in design puts the 8-lane highway over Patton Ave rather than under. This change is significant as it will entirely reshape the future development of Patton Ave and West Asheville for decades to come.
Why is design important?
Infrastructure design significantly impacts our daily lives whether we realize it or not. Our built environment consists of buildings, roads, sidewalks, storefronts, and more. The I-26 connector will be around for 80+ years, so it's design is critical for the future development of Asheville. Cities around the country are dealing with the ramifications of large freeway systems bifurcating their cities and creating dead zones.
As the City and State look to spend over a billion dollars of public funding for this section of the Connector, the long-term implications should be fully considered so that the best solution for residents and business owners is constructed. Roadways designed for pedestrians are safer, more sustainable and enable multi-modal transportation.
Download the timeline & explore links here:
Why Is Design so Important?
Sustains local economy
Prioritizes pedestrian safety
Improve public health
Enables future expansion
French Broad MPO
I-26 Connector Update
February 2025
Possibly the first publicly available record of the over/under design change.
Details of the design-build procurement process and the critical role of the Alternative Technical Concepts (ATC). It's arguable that the design is not innovative, in fact, it was rejected over 15 years ago.
AIA Press Release
2009
This press release by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) celebrates the collaboration between citizens, City, designers, and NCDOT promoting the acceptance of the preferred, alternative 4B.
"I left the meeting thinking, NCDOT gets it; they understand the importance of creating a direct multi-modal link to West Asheville with the creation of Patton Boulevard…It’s key to future city growth”, said Alan McGuinn, a local architect and TRC representative. He is referring to the opportunities for pedestrian walks, bicycle paths and mass transit lanes that are envisioned for the Smokey Park Bridge once the interstate traffic can be removed and the road converted to a local boulevard."
Technical Memo
2018
City Alternative Design for Bowen Bridge to become a multi-modal corridor connecting West Asheville to downtown. Source: Technical Memo
"This technical memo is intended as an addendum to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) I-26 Connector Project’s (STIP Number I-2513) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), as a means of officially recording the City’s preferred vision for the I-26 project."
Record of Decision
2023
"The Selected Alternative identified and discussed in this ROD is the Preferred Alternative identified in the FEIS. The alternative selected is Section C – Alternative F-1, Section A – Widening Alternative, and Section B – Alternative 4-B."
The Record of Decision articulates the alternative designs considered and the NCDOT's assessment criteria. Notably, Section B Alternative 4B had considerable cost increases from the initial study (Table 2, pg 38), which likely prompted the resurfacing of the flyover design.