Journalist John Boyle reports on the I-26 widening project in North Carolina, highlighting a 39% increase in crashes during construction compared to the previous five years, though fatalities declined by 33%. The project, started in 2019 and delayed until 2027 due to added infrastructure like Exit 35, has narrowed lanes and increased risks. Tools like a towing contract and a Traffic Management System have improved crash response times and traffic flow. Boyle urges drivers to avoid distractions, slow down, and be courteous in merging. Despite challenges, quick wrecker responses and traffic management efforts help mitigate dangers as construction continues.
In my career, I’ve often considered myself a professional pesterer.
As journalists, we have a license — and a responsibility — to pursue information vigorously, to the point of being obnoxious at times. Often, it takes a while to get said information, but that’s part of the job.
I bring all this up because back in mid-June when I wrote about how long the I-26 Connector project is taking — it started in 2019 — a reader sent in some excellent follow-up questions regarding crashes in the construction zone. He wanted to know how many accidents had occurred in the work zone over the past five years, compared to the five years before the project, and if there had been deaths.
I sent the query off to the North Carolina Department of Transportation in June, and I got the answers back last week. In the interim, I might’ve sent a few reminders. OK, more than a few.
I’m not complaining about the time frame, as it’s a lot of data to plow through, but I do like readers to know I haven’t forgotten them.
To be honest, I expected wrecks to be higher, as this is almost always the case in construction zones. Anytime you’re driving through walls of Jersey barriers on a narrowed interstate, especially with drivers who refuse to slow down, crashes are going to go up.
And they have.
“Yes, the number of crashes increased during construction compared to the five years prior to construction — just as you expected, we expected, and we all discussed during a media event prior to groundbreaking in 2019,” NCDOT spokesperson David Uchiyama told me via email when delivering the stats. “At that event, we also highlighted the anticipated benefits of two new tools that help traffic flow — a towing contract for I-26 and detour routes that have helped save an unknown number of lives, reduced potential congestion and improved travel times.”
The other tool was a Traffic Management System that improved monitoring, crash response times and traffic flow, especially with detours.
It’s fair enough for Uchiyama to tout these tools, although it’s impossible to quantify the number of lives saved or injuries prevented. Also, these steps are great, but I’ve said before and I’ll say again that the work zone, particularly in Buncombe County, has had some truly difficult zig-zaggy temporary lanes for motorists to navigate, not to mention a couple of places where the Jersey walls jut out a bit.
I’ll also point out that the widening project in Henderson County is now essentially finished, but Buncombe has two more years to go. More about that in a minute.
But let’s get to the numbers. As you can see in the chart below, there have been a total of 2,897 crashes during construction, a 39 percent increase over the previous five years. Four fatal crashes have occurred during the construction period, a 33 percent decline from the previous five years.
This chart summarizes crash data in the five years before the I-26 widening project and the most recent five years. Note: Class A crashes are ones that cause an “incapacitating injury,” based on the Federal Highway Administration’s classification system. Class B crashes involve minor injuries, and Class C crashes denote possible injuries. // Source: North Carolina Department Transportation
That’s good news on the fatalities, but clearly we’re dealing with a lot of crashes. The reasons for the increase come as no shock.
“A reduction in shoulder width and lane width creates less escape room for drivers,” Uchiyama said.
I drive I-26 pretty much every day. I’ve witnessed at least three wrecks on this stretch of road during the widening project, and I expect to see more. I’ve also had to completely lock up my brakes to avoid a collision at least twice.
Pro-tip: When you see tire smoke ahead of you, slow down immediately – hard. Someone is smoking their tires because they slammed on the brakes.
My tips for navigating I-26 safely
I can also offer a few other observations and tips:
For the love of living another day so you can text your friend about your afternoon plans, please put your cell phone away while you’re driving. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone drifting in their lane, or into mine, and when I pull up to pass they’re actively texting.
It can wait, especially when you’re walled in by concrete barriers. If you have to change your Spotify playlist, at least do it when you’re in the clear and not ping-ponging between concrete. I witnessed one guy, in a very nice car, drift into the right side Jersey barrier not once but twice, scraping the bejeepers out of his door and rear quarter panel, because he couldn’t resist the allure of the phone.
Slow down! Every day I drive I-26 I’m amazed at how fast people drive. Full disclosure: I’m not one to cling to the exact speed limit, but I do try to stay within 10 mph or so of it.
But I routinely see people whizzing by me like Brad Pitt in the movie “F1,” sometimes weaving in and out of lanes like they’ve got a $1 million purse on the line. It ain’t worth getting there three minutes faster if you’re dead or maimed, folks. And you’re endangering the lives of everyone else out there.
Truckers, can you move over? I realize these work zones are problematic, and heading up the grade to the Blue Ridge Parkway crossover sneaks up on semi drivers, but trucks in the left lane really throw a wrench in traffic flow.
One problem on westbound I-26 is that slow-moving tractor-trailers take up both lanes, instead of pulling to the right. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
By now, with all the phone apps and GPS gizmos on the market, truckers have to know when slowdowns, work zones and big hills are coming. As George Thorogood famously sang, “Move it on over!” (Original props to Hank Williams, of course).
Be courteous, or at least civil, particularly when lanes narrow and other drivers need to merge. I’ve been known to disregard courtesy at times myself, because, well, it’s tough to be polite to a doofus drifting into your lane while texting. But I’ve also found letting loose with the middle finger salute really doesn’t do much to improve the situation. Apparently, it’s not a de-escalation tool, as one of my older brothers taught me when I was learning to drive.
The merge issue is particularly key in all this, as lanes now decline from the Long Shoals area into Buncombe County. You’re going to have an experience where someone waited too long to merge and still needs to get in. Sure, give them a disappointed look verging on annoyance, but just let them move into the flow. Again, not worth the rage, or the body shop repair bill.
I’ve found it’s best in life to avoid road rage, or really any kind of rage at all, when possible. Think about this: Do you really want to enter into some kind of permanent relationship with the lunatic who just cut you off, via criminal charges or a potential lawsuit? Didn’t think so. Do not engage. Your future self will thank you.
Federal statistics on work zone crash data seem to mirror my experience.
For work zone crashes in 2021, 23 percent involved a rear-end collision, 33 percent involved a commercial motor vehicle, and in 32 percent of crashes speeding was a factor, according to the Federal Highway Administration. For 2022, 21 percent involved a rear-end collision, 30 percent a commercial vehicle and 34 percent speeding.
I bring all this up because we have a couple more years of dealing with the widening project, not to mention the I-26 Connector project closer into Asheville. Road construction will be a part of our lives for many years to come.
The widening of I-26 through Buncombe and Henderson counties, a $534 million project that started in October 2019, initially was scheduled to wrap up in 2024. The NCDOT had to push it back to this year, then to 2026…and then to July 2027.
These latest delays are mostly because of the addition of Exit 35, which came more than half way through the project and which will lead to the Pratt & Whitney aircraft parts plant. The NCDOT previously noted that this new exit will include an additional bridge and multiple retaining walls, and those additions increased the overall project timeline by almost two years.
The Connector, which has been in discussions around here since the 1980s, has started. The NCDOT said earlier this summer that some right-of-way acquisition started in 2019, but most of the property acquisition for the main sections through Asheville will begin this fall and be done by the end of 2027.
The Connector, as it sounds like, will connect sections of I-26 north and south of downtown, bypassing the current setup that makes motorists traverse I-240 and the Capt. Jeff Bowen Bridge. By the way, the NCDOT’s official I-26 Connector project page lists the completion date as October 2031, so I’m not joking when I say we’re going to be dealing with traffic and construction woes for the coming decade.
And that of course means more narrowed lanes, more crashes and more tow trucks plying the interstate.
Quick response by wrecker crews
I will say that when I have seen crashes on the interstate, the wrecker crews have responded quickly to remove damaged vehicles and clear the scene. Towing crews, including a heavy wrecker for 18-wheelers, are placed at strategic locations in the work zone, making them ready for immediate response.
“The towing contract has been so successful that other NCDOT divisions across the state are implementing the concept, including work zones on I-95 out east and our I-40 reconstruction in the Pigeon River Gorge,” Uchiyama said. “The result is a quicker crash clearance time, less time lost by others stuck in the queue behind the crash, and a reduced risk of secondary crashes.”
Response times to crashes in the I-26 widening zone have improved from an average 6.85 minutes to 3.74 minutes. Also, the average clearance time for crashes has ranged from 32.92 minutes to 17.5 minutes during the past five years. // Source: North Carolina Department of Transportation
Uchiyama also sent data on the towing program, noting that response times to crashes have improved from an average 6.85 minutes to 3.74 minutes. Also, the average clearance time for crashes has ranged from 32.92 minutes to 17.5 minutes during the past five years.
As Uchiyama mentioned, the Asheville NCDOT office also implemented the Mountain Traffic Management System and a Traffic Management Center for the widening project. The center “enters Traffic Incident Management System reports (notifications about crashes), dispatches the motorist assistance trucks to stranded drivers, monitors camera feeds, operates overhead message boards, and establishes detour information and manages traffic signal systems,” among other duties.”
This system has worked well, and let’s hope it continues to do so.
We’ve got a long way to go with these projects, and unfortunately, a lot more crashes.
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Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This content provides an informative and balanced look at a local infrastructure project, focusing on factual reporting, safety concerns, and practical advice for drivers. It includes data from official sources and presents both the challenges and responses of the North Carolina Department of Transportation without evident ideological bias. The article’s tone is pragmatic and community-focused rather than politically charged, aligning with a centrist perspective.
SUMMARY: An independent analysis warns that President Donald Trump’s mandates to keep aging coal and fossil fuel plants online could cost U.S. ratepayers billions. The Department of Energy has ordered retiring plants in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania to remain operational, citing blackout risks, despite owners planning closures due to high costs and redundancy. The Grid Strategies report, commissioned by environmental groups, projects $3.1 billion in annual costs by 2028, potentially rising to $5.9 billion if all aging plants are retained. Critics say the policy inflates bills, undermines competitiveness, and incentivizes plant owners to delay closures for federal intervention.
SUMMARY: NCCU basketball coach Levelle Moton hosts the annual Back to School Community Day at the Raleigh Boys Club, now bigger each year. Families like Star Jones’ benefit from free school supplies, haircuts, and meals, easing financial burdens as children prepare for the new school year. Moton, raised by the Boys Club, emphasizes giving back, crediting support he once received. The event unites local businesses and organizations, fostering a supportive community environment. Moton’s own children also volunteer, highlighting the full-circle spirit. The goal is to remove barriers, ensuring all students have the resources to succeed academically and socially.
“Always give back. Always lend a helping hand to your neighbor.”
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-17 08:01:00
North Carolina’s Legislature faces challenges overriding several gubernatorial vetoes, including a proposed $1,700 tax credit for schoolchildren and permitless concealed carry. While eight vetoes were overridden on July 29, including immigration and firearms measures, others tied to diversity policies and gun laws remain contentious. Bipartisan support helped override some bills, notably the Educational Choice for Children Act, but permitless carry lacks Democratic backing and faces Republican absences. Diversity-related bills saw no Democratic support and mixed Republican attendance. Overrides require three-fifths majorities in both chambers, with vote shifts common. Legislative leaders aim to time override efforts strategically amid ongoing political dynamics.
(The Center Square) – Establishing a tax credit program of up to $1,700 in 2027 for North Carolina school children has a historical pathway to overcoming gubernatorial veto, according to pattern analysis by The Center Square.
No permits for concealed carry, however, is quite a bit more challenging.
Outside of the fatigued question on the Legislature putting forth a full two-year spending plan, those two vetoes and three others tied to diversity policies are creating the main storylines for the Legislature’s return next week. The pre-Labor Day session has no guarantees of movement on any; rather, all will depend on chamber leaders having members present and their votes known as to what opportunities will be taken.
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, in the House of Representatives have pledged to get the timing right, whether next week or later.
Eight vetoes were overridden into law by both chambers on July 29. They included measures on immigration, what was known as the REINS Act, environmental goals, powers of the state auditor, clarifying men and women, donor privacy, and firearms.
Senators completed the override on four more – two related to diversity policy, one on permitless concealed carry and another on immigration. If the House can get the override for a third diversity bill that originated in its chamber, the Senate is expected to follow suit.
The other two vetoes involve a squatters bill that went an alternative route to first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s signature, and the federal school choice initiative championed by second-term Republican President Donald Trump.
Plenty of attention was rightly thrust upon the four Democrats in the House of Representatives helping move the Grand Old Party agenda this summer. Reps. Shelly Willingham of Edgecombe County six times and Carla Cunningham of Mecklenburg County five times were most instrumental. Twice each, Reps. Cecil Brockman of Guilford County and Nasif Majeed of Mecklenburg County were on board to get the chamber’s overrides to 72 votes or higher.
For each of the eight vetoes that got an override, at least one Democrat in the House had voted for the measure at passage. Only once – Brockman on donors – did a yes vote switch to no. And once – Rep. Ben Moss, R-Richmond, on the power bill – a Republican changed a no vote to yes at override.
That would bode well for the push – Educational Choice for Children Act (House Bill 87) – to make North Carolina the first in the nation codifying the signature education initiative of the president. Cunningham and Willingham were each on board, though Republicans had three excused and another – Rep. Neal Jackson, R-Moore – choosing not to vote.
It doesn’t bode well for becoming the 30th state to be without permit for concealed carry.
Freedom to Carry NC, known also as Senate Bill 50, not only had no Democrats in the House at passage, but it also has Republican Reps. William Brisson of Bladen County and Ted Davis Jr. of New Hanover County with no votes at passage. Ten other Republicans took excused absences, including notably Rules Chairman John Bell of Wayne County, Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County and Rep. Allen Chesser of Nash County.
The North Carolina Border Protection Act, known also as Senate Bill 153, was straight party line. The 11 excused absences among Republicans included notables Cotham and Rep. Erin Pare, R-Wake.
For the package of bills on diversity, equity and inclusion, the proposals would respectively take them out of state agencies, K-12 education, and higher education. None drew a Democrat’s vote in either chamber.
On the Republican side, Reps. Jackson, John Blust of Guilford County, Brenden Jones of Columbus County and John Sauls of Lee County had excused absences for all three votes; Hall and Rep. Edwin Goodwin of Chowan County chose not to vote on the higher ed bill; and Rep. Mike Clampitt of Swain County chose not to vote on the state agencies bill.
Six other Republicans also had excused absences mixed among the three votes.
Three-fifths majorities are needed in each chamber to get an override, both chambers must accomplish it, and there’s only one override vote per bill. Republicans have majorities of 30-20 in the Senate and 71-49 in the House.
And votes at passage are not guaranteed through veto override. Never was that clearer than the 2023-24 session when a bill related to evictions sailed through the chambers 44-0 and 113-1, only to be vetoed by former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. It became law on the strength of override votes of 27-17 and 72-44.
Already on the eight overrides this session, six senators and 12 House members have changed votes at least once from yes at passage to no at override. Respective chamber leaders at three each are Sen. Dan Blue, D-Wake, and Rep. Charles Smith, D-Cumberland. One senator and four House members have already made such changes twice each.
In the 2023-24 session, all 29 vetoes by Cooper were overridden amid 19 senators and 34 House members changing votes at least once between passage and override.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article predominantly reports on legislative actions and veto override efforts in North Carolina with an emphasis on bills favored by Republican lawmakers, such as tax credits for school children, permitless concealed carry, border protection, and anti-diversity policies. While it maintains a largely factual tone, the selection and framing of issues—highlighting GOP achievements and describing Democratic opposition without similar context—suggests a subtle center-right leaning. The language is generally neutral but implicitly supports the Republican legislative agenda by focusing attention on successful overrides and the challenges Democrats face, rather than critically examining the content or broader implications of the policies. Overall, the piece reports on political events and positions but does so through a lens sympathetic to conservative priorities.
