WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — There are new details on plans for improving Waynesville’s South Main Street. The long-awaited project is on hold again.
The project has gone through many delays over 20 years. It will have to wait some more due to economic constraints.
The Department of Transportation said this latest delay on the South Main Street widening project has nothing to do with Helene, but everything to do with rising construction costs on things like concrete and steel.
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NCDOT spokesman, David Uchiyama said that means dozens of projects across North Carolina are delayed.
“We estimate that the cost of statewide projects has increased by 11 billion in 2 years," Uchiyama said.
Uchiyama said the South Main Street delay doesn't mean starting from scratch later on.
“The design work still continues until we have 65% planned. So, behind the scenes, this project is still moving forward,” Uchiyama said.
“Construction costs have been accelerating since COVID, not just the construction costs, but the sourcing of materials,” said Waynesville Development Services Director, Elizabeth Teague.
“This would push it beyond 2029,” Teague said about the South Main Street delay.
She said although this project faces yet another delay, having the DOT's preliminary engineering plans helps.
“It will be sometime after 2029 that DOT is able to actually consider it for budgeting and for a possible later date," said Teague.
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Teague said the DOT is trying to address work already in line like Russ Avenue, and bridge work on the Smoky Mountain Expressway.
“Because of delays in those projects, it's pushing DOT's schedule back and all of the projects are affected.”
Teague said the town has done a lot to prepare South Main, a key corridor into town, for an upgrade.
“The town has done a lot of work with some property owners to clear off some of those sites that have been sort of sitting there empty,” Teague said.
She said it's now a matter of DOT budgeting.
“Now that we have preliminary engineering, we can work with developers and property owners along that corridor so that future plans and future designs can line up to that engineering. We are hopeful that that corridor creates opportunity,” Teague said.
Teague estimates it will be into the 2030s before any construction begins.