N.C. Department of Transportation declines to carry Asheville Design Center I‑26 alternative forward; draft EIS will proceed

The N.C. Department of Transportation told the Asheville City Council it will not carry the Asheville Design Center (ADC) alignment for the I‑26 connector forward for detailed study, citing design, operational and environmental concerns, and will complete a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on the project.

NCDOT preconstruction director Debbie Barber told the council the department reviewed the ADC concept with NCDOT engineers and two private consulting firms and “we're not recommending, that the alternative be carried forward for further study in the draft environmental impact statement.” Federal Highway Administration staff emphasized that interstate projects must meet national design standards, including looking 20 years into future traffic demands.

Why it matters: the I‑26 connector is a regional project that will shape traffic patterns, land use and development in Asheville. Council members and community groups have championed the ADC proposal as a way to preserve developable land and produce a more compact, community‑oriented solution; DOT and its consultants say the ADC alignment, as developed for review, produces grades, weaving distances and environmental impacts that conflict with minimum interstate standards and permit requirements.

DOT and FHWA role and timeline

Debbie Barber and Federal Highway Administration assistant division administrator Don Volker described the approvals process for a federally assisted state highway project. Volker said FHWA’s role is to ensure federal rules and design standards are met before federal funds are provided. NCDOT staff said they are completing a…