Bellview – Preparation work has begun on the U.S. 19/129 – Blairsville Highway – widening project from the U.S. 64/74 intersection in Cherokee County to the Georgia state line.
The project was among a long list that were delayed by COVID-19-related funding issues. Construction for this project was changed from 2021 to 2023.
The Dec. 19 let date remains in place. In construction, a let date is when bid proposals for a project are opened. The let date assumes that property acquisition to make room for the highway will be completed.
The N.C. Department of Transportation has completed 60 percent of its planned right-of-way acquisition, said David Uchiyama, a DOT spokesman. The project is on schedule.
There are 108 parcels affected by this project. The DOT is still working with 43 parcel owners, of which 40 are residential and three are commercial, he said.
Vegetation clearing for utility construction is taking place, with utility construction scheduled to begin in the spring or summer 2023. Actual highway construction for the 3.8-mile, $55 million highway project is scheduled to begin in the spring.
The project is intended to improve traffic flow and safety along the U.S. 19/129 roadway, according to previous DOT statements. The project has been in the planning stages for several years, with a meeting of affected property owners being held in November 2018.
In addition to widening the highway, the project also reconfigures a number of intersections, including both ends of Taylor Hensen Road. It also creates a four-way intersection at Lance Road/Price Weaver Road and Bobcat Lane and Mountain Willow Lane.