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NCDOT reports progress, $33.1 million spent so far on Hurricane Helene repairs in Ash County
Summary
North Carolina DOT updated commissioners on Hurricane Helene recovery in Ash County: 1,140 site-specific items recorded, about 37% (418 sites) reported fully repaired, and roughly $33.1 million expended to date; several bridges and specialized wall repairs remain.
North Carolina Department of Transportation district engineers gave the Ash County Board an update April 20 on recovery work after Hurricane Helene, reporting 1,140 site-specific items identified countywide and about $33.1 million spent so far on road and infrastructure repairs.
District engineer David Wayne told the board that, as of the April 11 report he cited, 418 sites in Ash County (about 37 percent) were listed as fully repaired. Wayne said the county-wide total of site-specific and stabilization items is roughly 1,150, and the pace of completed repairs averages “almost 2.5 sites a day” since work began.
Wayne said the $33.1 million figure breaks down into about $21.9 million paid to contractors, roughly $3.25 million for labor, about $1.25 million in equipment costs and nearly $7 million for materials, the majority of which were concrete and rock to date. He cautioned the board that asphalt repairs will increase future costs.
DOT described recent construction work: specialized soil-nail and gravity walls completed or under way (including multiple jobs on Highway 88 and Big Laurel), temporary traffic control for safety, and ongoing bridge and culvert replacement. Wayne said 70 damaged bridges in the county have been repaired or reset in the recovery effort and three remain closed; of 50 larger (bridge-scale) pipes damaged, 21 have been replaced.
Wayne and board members discussed remaining work prioritized for the division, upcoming paving at specific locations and that many remaining repairs are drainage and pipe replacements. He said some low-water bridges that washed out have been temporarily repaired and are programmed for replacement within three to four years through the RAISE grant process.
Commissioners asked several operational questions. One commissioner raised safety concerns about two-lane roads reduced to one lane and school-bus routes; Wayne said he would follow up with a list of sites with lane reductions and timing for repairs. The board also discussed roadside debris removal and volunteer coordination for recovery support. Wayne credited county maintenance coordination led by Lance Burda and other crews for progress.
Wayne said DOT continues to reconcile engineering estimates, FEMA reporting requirements and contractor work. He noted that the federal FEMA deadline had passed but that a 60-day grace period applied in some cases for survivors with qualifying circumstances and that appeals processes for FEMA assistance remained available.
