NCDOT Awards Contract for Complex Repairs Along U.S. 176
Pre-contruction preocess expedited compared to traditional project delivery
SALUDA – The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a contract to reconstruct a complex 1.1-mile section of U.S. 176 destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
Blythe Construction of Charlotte earned the contract as the lowest qualified bidder on the $32 million project to reconstruct 16 different sites on the highway that runs through a steep and narrow ravine.
The reconstruction requires rebuilding sections of the southbound lane that vanished after the storm. In some spots, the slopes drop 60 feet down to a narrow canyon carrying the North Pacolet River.
This nature of the work requires U.S. 176 to remain closed for the duration of construction, which is scheduled to conclude in late 2029. Interstate 26 will continue serving as the detour to access points on either side of the closure.
“This project is one of the most complex reconstruction projects that resulted from Hurricane Helene,” Division Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “The corridor is highly constrained by the river on one side and rugged terrain on the other. Unfortunately, there is not enough room to make the repairs and allow traffic to use the road at the same time.”
Similar to ongoing construction on I-40 and upcoming work in Gerton, reconstruction will begin at the river and expand vertically to the road. Crews will utilize a variety of walls — including soil-nail walls, pile-panel walls, and grouted rock embankment — to rebuild the roadway after they excavate from the road to the river, build a causeway and build a temporary track back up to the road.
While the extensive construction work will be visible upon completion, the efforts of engineers working on this project since the storm will never be noticed by drivers. A project of this magnitude usually requires 5-7 years of planning and permitting. This project team completed designs, obtained permitting and completed easement negotiations in less than two years.
“There are a lot of smart people who have spent extra hours hustling to get this project to the point where crews can begin moving equipment into the area,” Grindstaff said. “We are so thankful to have such a great pre-construction team on this project.”
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