APD issues more U-turn citations at Patton, Regent Park intersection

Drivers are still trying the old U-turn at Patton Avenue and Regent Park Boulevard, and Asheville police have responded with a steady stream of tickets, warnings and enforcement at the west Asheville intersection near the Capt. Jeff Bowen Bridge and Sam’s Club.

The Asheville Police Department said officers issued 17 citations, three written warnings and seven verbal warnings for attempted U-turns from May 6 through May 26, 2026. Public Information Officer Rick Rice said the totals were compiled from a geo-fenced area around the intersection and nearby roadway, so they are a reasonable estimate rather than an exact count of every enforcement action.

The maneuver became illegal after concrete barriers were installed earlier in May, cutting off a turn that westbound Patton Avenue drivers had long used to get back downtown. Police posted a public service announcement on Facebook on May 20 to warn motorists about the change, but the numbers show many drivers still have not adjusted to the new pattern. The result has been more stops at the corner and a growing learning curve for commuters moving between West Asheville and Downtown Asheville.

The safety concerns go beyond citations. APD said three major collisions occurred at the intersection between May 6 and May 22, 2026. Rice said the immediate intersection averages about 18 collisions a year, while the broader area, including the blind hill off I-240 westbound and the 3A ramp merge, sees more than 100 crashes annually, or roughly one every three to four days. The intersection also can collect standing water during heavy rain, including over Memorial Day weekend, adding another hazard for drivers making quick turns.

The corner has a long record of trouble. A 2016 Citizen Times report listed Patton Avenue and Regent Park Boulevard among Asheville’s worst intersections for traffic accidents. City of Asheville planning documents now frame the corridor as part of a wider redesign effort, with the Downtown Patton Avenue Corridor Feasibility Study calling for transportation, land-use and urban-design recommendations from the Jeff Bowen Bridge to Pack Square. The city also completed stormwater and sidewalk accessibility work on Patton Avenue in 2025.

For now, the message from police is simple: the former U-turn is gone, the signage now prohibits it, and drivers who try to force the move risk citations and dangerous conflicts in one of Asheville’s most heavily watched traffic corridors.