"I got here early this morning to ensure the new paint dried and to see it open with my own eyes," NCDOT contract Resident Engineer Luke Middleton told WLOS on July 17, 2026. That was the day all four westbound lanes of Interstate 26 opened in their final layout, from U.S. 64 in Henderson County to Brevard Road in Buncombe County.
The eastbound side caught up in October. On the map, the widening looks done. For people driving it every day from Arden, Skyland or Royal Pines, the drive hasn't fully changed yet. The posted speed is still 55, and NCDOT hasn't decided on a truck-lane rule. Both are tied to the project's finish, and the biggest piece still unfinished is a road most South Asheville drivers haven't used yet: the new Exit 35 interchange near Brevard Road. That same interchange is the reason the project ran two years past its first target date.
Here is where each part of the corridor stood in late October 2026.
| Piece of the project | Status | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Westbound, U.S. 64 (Exit 49) to Brevard Road (Exit 33) | Open in final configuration since July 17 | WLOS, July 17, 2026 |
| Eastbound, Pond Road bridge to Long Shoals Road (Exit 37) | Set to open after overnight closures Oct. 7 to 9 | NCDOT, Oct. 7, 2026 |
| French Broad River bridge sealing | Daytime two-lane closures announced for later in October, no dates given | NCDOT, Oct. 7, 2026 |
| New Exit 35 interchange | Finishing work under way, slated for this winter | WLOS, Oct. 6, 2026 |
| 60 and 65 mph limits | Approved, waiting on the end of the work zone | WLOS, Oct. 6, 2026 |
The hill at Long Shoals was the first thing fixed
For years, the slowest spot on the corridor was the climb near Long Shoals Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge. "For the longest time, there's been a slowdown right there at Long Shoals and the Parkway with a lot of the truck traffic having a tough time getting up the hill," Middleton told WLOS in July. The July westbound opening included that hill.
The same report flagged what was left. NCDOT said about six months of construction remained west of the Parkway bridge, with short-term lane closures for diamond grinding, new pavement markings and concrete block joints. Six months from mid-July is mid-January. That fits the "this winter" date NCDOT now gives for the last big piece.
Eastbound closed its last two-lane gap in October
In July, Middleton told WLOS that "the eastbound still has a small section where it's just two lanes." That gap ran from the Pond Road bridge to Long Shoals Road.
On Oct. 7, NCDOT announced that the new eastbound lanes there would open after two nights of overnight work. 828 News Now gave the second closure window as 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, to 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9. Eastbound traffic was detoured onto I-40 East, then down Hendersonville Road to Long Shoals Road or Airport Road.
With that work done, NCDOT says eastbound drivers get four lanes for 12 miles from I-40 to U.S. 25 at Exit 44, then three lanes from there to U.S. 64 at Exit 49. The agency also said two lanes of the French Broad River bridge would close during the day later in October so crews could seal the bridge. It didn't publish dates for those closures, so they may still catch drivers off guard.
Exit 35 keeps the work zone open
Exit 35 is a new interchange. It connects I-26 to Frederick Law Olmsted Way, a private Biltmore Farms road serving the Pratt & Whitney site off Brevard Road. When the interchange was first proposed, WLOS reported in 2022 that it would provide access to Brevard Road near the North Carolina Arboretum, to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and to the Pratt & Whitney plant then under construction.
In July, NCDOT expected the interchange to be finished by the end of 2026. By Oct. 6, WLOS's Ask 13 segment reported that finishing work was still going on around Exit 35 and that the interchange was "slated for completion this winter." NCDOT's own I-26 widening project page still says "Fall 2026," but that page was last updated on April 9, 2025.
The interchange matters even to drivers who will never take that exit, because two rules are tied to finishing the project.
The speed limit goes up only when the work zone ends
Higher limits are already approved. NCDOT Western Communications Manager David Uchiyama told WLOS that ordinances set these limits in both directions:
- I-40 to Brevard Road: 60 mph
- Brevard Road to Airport Road: 65 mph
For now, the 55 mph work-zone limit stays in place "until the project is complete or the work zone speed limit is rescinded," according to the same report. No date was given for either. So the stretch past Long Shoals has wider pavement than it has ever had, but the speed limit stays at 55 until NCDOT either finishes the project or lifts the work-zone limit.
Trucks keep the left lane because of Exit 35's design
Exit 35 also sets the truck rules. A WLOS viewer asked whether trucks would be kept out of the left lane along the whole widened section in Buncombe and Henderson counties. Uchiyama said the interchange's design rules that out near Exit 35, because trucks will need the left lane to reach an upcoming left-hand exit for I-26 West.
NCDOT plans to watch truck movements and traffic flow along the corridor once construction is complete before deciding whether any changes are justified. The truck decision, like the speed change, starts after Exit 35 is finished.
The interchange that's holding up the finish also caused the delay
Construction began Oct. 15, 2019, according to NCDOT's project history. When the work was announced that September, BPR reported a 2024 completion date and a cost of $534 million for the 16.9-mile project between U.S. 64 and Brevard Road.
By April 2024, WLOS reported that the Buncombe County section had slipped to 2026. The cause was the added Brevard Road interchange, which is now Exit 35. The same report put the estimated total cost at about $620 million, up from $531 million. Published cost figures vary by source and year, and the $531 million figure still appears on NCDOT's project page.
Exit 35 was added after construction started, it pushed the schedule from 2024 to 2026, and it's now the last major piece standing between drivers and the higher speed limits.
Planning holiday drives in a work zone
The last weeks of construction overlap with two big South Asheville events. Biltmore Park Town Square's Tree Lighting & Holiday Market is Friday, Nov. 20, from 4 to 8 p.m. It has local makers, seasonal food and family activities, and the tree ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. Six days later, the South Asheville Turkey Trot starts and finishes at the Square at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26.
If you're coming in on I-26 for either event, plan for 55 mph on the new lanes. NCDOT has also said more short-term closures are possible for grinding and joint work. This fall's closure notices have come out through NCDOT press releases and WLOS's I-26 coverage.
The drive from Arden into Asheville has been changing since 2019. If you're wondering how a finished I-26 might affect what your South Asheville home is worth, Carter Sowers and the team at Elevate Asheville Realty Group can look at the commute with you along with the rest of your home's details. Get a Free Home Valuation and we'll start with your exit.
