SPRUCE PINE — The project to expand U.S. 19E to four lanes from Spruce Pine to Burnsville is expected to be completed by Sept. 15, said David Uchiyama, Communications Officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation Western Mountains Area.
The $64.8 million project, which started in spring 2015, is more than 90-percent complete, Uchiyama said.
The widening project will make 19E in Spruce Pine four lanes to connect with the existing four-lane stretch through Burnsville, which continues beyond Yancey County toward Asheville.
By Sept. 15, the project is expected to be “substantially complete” which means all four lanes will be paved and marked and traffic will be in its final pattern. Representatives from the NCDOT will also perform a final walkthrough to iron out small details.
At this point in the project, crews are finishing final paving, specifically on side roads, shoulders and intersections. Uchiyama said the next step will be the adding final paint markings and snow-plowable markers.
“Highway 19E is a developing corridor,” Uchiyama said. “This project provides a new connection that will provide increased access to the area and improve the local economy.”
Uchiyama added that weather will play a role in the NCDOT meeting the target completion date.
“It’s a very big project for all the counties in the region,” he said. “We know folks will be delighted when it’s complete.”