RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will soon reopen a major stretch of U.S. 64 that was closed for more than a year after Helene.
The stretch of road going into Bat Cave — between Slick Rock Road and the intersection of U.S. 74 — is expected to reopen to all traffic on Saturday, March 28. The road was previously open only to local traffic.
“Long time coming after the storm. It’s been closed since the storm to everybody but local traffic only, but we feel we’re at a point where it’s safe enough now. We’ve gotten enough accomplished to open to everybody,” said Mike Patton, a Resident Engineer with NCDOT.
U.S. 64 INTO BAT CAVE REOPENS MARCH 28 WITH TEMPORARY TRAFFIC PATTERN, NCDOT SAYS
The highway is a key route going into Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, two areas that were also hit hard by the storm.
Patton said barricades will come down along with the message boards that say “Local Traffic Only.”
“There will be one temporary red light in place, which kind of acts like a lane closure, where it will be single lane. It’s relatively short. [It] shouldn’t really impede traffic all that much at all. There will be some flagging operations off and on as we finish the work,” Patton said.
He said the NCDOT anticipates having the road fully open to all traffic by Memorial Day.
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“Right after the storm, we intentionally focused on [U.S] 64 to be kind of the lifeline for this entire area, for Chimney Rock, Bat Cave, Lake Lure, communities in Middle Fork, Gerton to try to re-establish a permanent two-lane road into the area,” said Patton.
After Tuesday’s announcement, business owners in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock said they were excited to welcome the visitors U.S. 64 will bring to the community.
“Those roads reopening to Asheville, to Hendersonville, to Black Mountain, that’s where like 60 to 70 percent of our guests come from. So, those roads reopening is tremendous for us. We’re very excited,” said Tom Halladay, the owner at Fae Nectar.
“Now that it’s going to be open, you can use that route to come and see us, and it’s just so exciting, and I hope that everyone takes advantage of that opportunity and come see us and come see Lake Lure when that’s ready and just come see the progress,” Riverwatch Grill General Manager Shelly Banz-McCormack said.
