[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6670562,"mediaKeyId","2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f","parentId",2172306,"title","DOT: I‑40 gorge reopening timeline uncertain; federal funding pause may delay repairs","audioSeconds",277,"startMs",1979000,"endMs",2256000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f&start=1979&end=2256","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f/thumbnail_1979000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670562/North-Carolina/DOT-I40-gorge-reopening-timeline-uncertain-federal-funding-pause-may-delay-repairs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670562-3ca0bf0128cd2c5d2d66052aab00cdf6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776705443&Signature=OZXNs1Qni5d8z7HGVrRo2l~wH2Nhd7Tgh3nqvmGQp~AAXN4v58UU0yNXH9pAqcKml7l8QCbIGW5ORjw4gBXT1H-QgaWteEJc1h-RZJB9T71~a~PjzLWkrFq64VcL~rdDaFKhCe5Lv1cpWSd6M1a4prAs3EGei43gOu6bx5r~F4hosGPhxKFoPQ3o7I8Pzg1vgC94GIiQ0hNXBOJFljRKN6aExn1EdZMIQ3qq~CMNRYe52MFDmivfmlEpJINiRD8oxAI1~~1et8Z2fKxbeEstAPEXQDmnR7WbNxujEPo2VgLgvghtreEu5osGxusrbMop~FKJgCDKPN3b6dSYGy7jCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Waynesville","date","2025-01-29T05:31:01.09Z","article","A councilmember who represents the town on the regional metropolitan planning organization told the Waynesville Town Council on Jan. 28 that progress on Interstate 40 through the gorge remains uncertain and that federal funding disruptions could slow statewide highway work.

The MPO representative said state officials are reluctant to give a firm timeline but are “hoping within the next few months to have 2 lanes open, with a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour through the gorge.” For full reopening and reconstruction, the speaker said the larger project timeline is roughly 24 months with potential for a three‑year schedule. Cost estimates given in the meeting for the Haywood County portion of the interstate work were about $2,000,000,000.

The speaker also warned councilors that a federal judicial action had temporarily frozen some federal funding and an executive order pause could affect disbursements to MPOs and other programs. He said federal agencies were required to submit information on impacted programs by Feb. 10 and that additional updates were expected over the coming days.

Council and staff noted other local infrastructure work is underway, including fabrication of steel for a Richland Creek site and active RFPs and interviews for recreation projects, but cautioned that creek conditions and weather can affect construction timing. Staff said the Richland Creek contractor expected onsite work to take about three weeks once materials arrive, but that stream flows could delay in‑stream work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council Regular Meeting 1/28/25","oneSentenceSummary","Councilmember reports at the Waynesville Jan. 28 meeting said the I‑40 gorge may reopen temporarily to two lanes in the coming months but full reconstruction could take two to three years and cost about $2 billion for the Haywood County portion; speakers warned a recent judicial freeze on federal funding could delay projects statewide.","taxTitle","Town of Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina","taxId",54747,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6670563,"Haywood Regional open to supporting municipal clinic; hospital not interested in owning it, council told",156,2528000,2684000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f&start=2528&end=2684","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f/thumbnail_2528000.jpg","/articles/6670563/North-Carolina/Haywood-Regional-open-to-supporting-municipal-clinic-hospital-not-interested-in-owning-it-council-told","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670563-f22a505aafd7039888f8fb6238d12308/orig.mp4?Expires=1776705443&Signature=GFqwA8isMEXkCVDNnGuWc6JGO6yoLtFnF6rpraVnjV~4ICW6vodd2qn2Ip62rE777T77P857Yvt6ExcIJqrnspTNhmg1abHL2j0mpCM4mtBgr3kcyb6scGcz3xVGc942df9AN5TnorJ2w7L8TqD2xAcMcnb4NksqpmaRLCnHG~11TuDqjn7PTNGdmE1YDAm3qqRIAuhVaeFeh1JpVE2Rjkk~Q-kIpS3XAI3FSVGt7R-bqTVJqzt43ieuNRjM4EOKBngXa6Qlj3AE~rFpYG5BCwXCXBKoqsXMlbgYB3vgnlg1SJBNC7ajZIgCyqrbRrpMqm8sIZY~wlRNLBKr5qR~Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town of Waynesville staff updated the council Jan. 28 on a meeting with Haywood Regional Medical Center about a proposed municipal medical clinic. John Scott reported that Chris Brown, CEO of Haywood Regional, told the town the hospital would not want to own the clinic but would consider supporting it in other ways, including staffing and operational assistance.

Scott said the hospital’s willingness to participate ‘‘short of owning the clinic’’ was stronger than the staff expected and that Brown offered ideas for how the clinic might operate. The next step, Scott said, is to contact the county manager and other municipal managers in the area to assess broader regional interest; Rob (town staff) was assigned to open those conversations.

Council members and staff noted the difficulty of access to primary care in the county and described the hospital’s engagement as “very positive.” No formal agreement or funding commitment was made at the meeting; staff said locating a suitable facility for a clinic will be a major next step.

The council did not vote on any formal action; staff will continue outreach to other municipalities and report back.","Town staff and council members said Haywood Regional Medical Center indicated willingness to staff and support a proposed municipal clinic but declined ownership. Town and municipal staff will now gauge interest from other local governments in the region.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6670567,"Waynesville staff: state FEMA floodplain remapping under way; town will await preliminary maps",219,867000,1086000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f&start=867&end=1086","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f/thumbnail_867000.jpg","/articles/6670567/North-Carolina/Waynesville-staff-state-FEMA-floodplain-remapping-under-way-town-will-await-preliminary-maps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670567-81295eea4e9cc5e42f4b58ced4619b17/orig.mp4?Expires=1776705443&Signature=lByDY1EPcGH3qHDO2BBsO8uYaNZG9fWMRNqZ3SNzjcopahyGjnmDHUia2FEERViO66rbf7NZGrUxMCZYE7-BuwSN3wjN5JbzH4GogAnQMxtPT2prIh9rXWzcofDB3QB82h5dxGmUtVHo8I56QZa3iZiiYmYstd-ijPSIag-IuI4J9uXpMFqGh6h0hzh1YaaiBBaiuBXU8LwU3MLqHpjfKznkjfQgDaywoFMg-pKpE3uOhgpWZJ64SXWiziPL3YRjFIgTjIxND164RzlNc-6CSciUAwaFzdY8jMZ9skFzAwcAttaJSJ9QBljBoYQ8r~h9f4lzHuRKMJ0mGVzodzoB3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Town of Waynesville’s Jan. 28 meeting, town staff updated the council on efforts to revise FEMA floodplain maps for the Hazel/Hazelwood area and wider Haywood County.

Elizabeth (staff) said the state’s floodplain mapping program is already conducting studies in Haywood County as part of a French Broad River Basin update. She quoted the state national floodplain insurance coordinator as saying the program is in the “second round of engineering modeling for the quality control of those efforts” and that preliminary maps for Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties are expected by the end of the calendar year 2025.

Elizabeth told the council the state’s work ‘‘does not reflect any changes resulting from that event’’ (referring to the storm identified in the coordinator’s message) but that the mapping program will collect post‑storm lidar and ground verification data and process that information before delivering revised studies. She also outlined the federal process: FEMA’s risk map work requires regulatory due process including a 90‑day appeal/comment period, public information, and published notices in the Federal Register.

Staff advised the council that a local contract to produce separate flood studies would likely duplicate state efforts and require approvals; they recommended using the state’s mapping deliverables and noted property owners retain the option to pursue a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) or Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) for individual parcels.

Councilmembers asked for clarification about geographic coverage; staff confirmed preliminary maps being developed by the state will include the Town of Waynesville. No formal action or vote on contracting for separate mapping was recorded; staff recommended the town “hold” pending the state’s preliminary deliverables and follow the state/FEMA public process when maps are released.","Town staff told the Waynesville Town Council on Jan. 28 that state and FEMA floodplain remapping for Haywood County — including the Hazel/Hazelwood area — is already in progress and preliminary maps are expected by the end of 2025; staff recommended the town not duplicate the state’s work with its own contract.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6670572,"Waynesville council approves pay and classification changes and a $250 donation",0,1673000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f&start=1673&end=1673","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172306-16d0eb00bd213172d96018ea3acdde9f/thumbnail_1673000.jpg","/articles/6670572/North-Carolina/Waynesville-council-approves-pay-and-classification-changes-and-a-250-donation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670572-4c77d6e439b279ed1817a43cc02c8e24/orig.mp4?Expires=1776705443&Signature=QvKt3KFoMLOcmU-N~qw6jPY9ep20s4HfJLpApVzbKX2kHjbAwgJxUvyXA~wSChJ6IfKpHT0AmIAlqqU4UR7E-U~EwXXFPX0~3d68w8WfU1~sklnEncLD5F4Wkk5346~T7Ir73D~ttqc1mXLrmlVt2LYSWwXWKCw3WkkPNSCIJMdVFxeaI84z8jUoasIQesZDgSjiWzkGs8m1Ii8483q8qzWC5UbA3y~-yCrv4eVSkSjiuCMmLU~8ZMQZYYil7ecEdUq3gNrY~s3GSzfvcivw6z4YufVi-vksnuyNNVcUR9iDSEMcFP1uqhMsDYvcGvpjWlE9PxobbUh9PPAeZRjgCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Waynesville Town Council voted on three personnel and administration items during its Jan. 28 regular meeting.

Council members approved reclassifying one maintenance technician position at the armory to a “maintenance and grounds technician” and increasing the job grade from 53 to 56 to reflect added plumbing and carpentry responsibilities. Council made the change after staff said the upgrade is intended to help recruit and retain a replacement for a longtime employee who is retiring after 30 years.

The council also voted to raise the maximum hourly rate paid to retired law enforcement officers working part time from $25 to $27. Chief Adams told the council the department currently employs two retirees under that classification and that the additional cost is minimal and covered by the existing budget.

Finally, council approved a $250 donation from the town to support the Haywood Waterways Polar Plunge event. A motion to donate the amount was made during the manager's announcements and approved by voice vote.

Each item was approved by voice vote; the meeting minutes record “all in favor, say aye” for these motions. The council did not record roll‑call tallies in the transcript for these particular votes.

Notes on procedure and context: staff said the armory classification change is budgeted, and managers emphasized the change is meant to broaden skills required for the position to include immediate grounds maintenance. The pay increase for retired officers was presented by Chief Adams, who said the department can cover the change within the current budget.","The Town of Waynesville Town Council on Jan. 28 approved a classification upgrade for an armory maintenance position, raised the hourly rate for retired part‑time law enforcement, and authorized a $250 donation for the annual Polar Plunge fundraiser.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DOT: I‑40 gorge reopening timeline uncertain; federal funding pause may delay repairs

Haywood Regional open to supporting municipal clinic; hospital not interested in owning it, council told

Waynesville staff: state FEMA floodplain remapping under way; town will await preliminary maps

Waynesville council approves pay and classification changes and a $250 donation