Buncombe updates Helene-hit Exit 55 corridor, BP, Zaxby's, motel sites

The Helene-damaged stretch around I-40 Exit 55 in East Asheville is still working through the basics of recovery: who owns each parcel, who is clearing it, and which sites are stuck waiting on permits, sales or foreclosure. City staff said the BP owner has pulled demolition permits to clear the interior and exterior of the gas station, permits have been issued for that property, and the building is headed toward removal. The Zaxby’s parcel was recently sold, and officials said the building is secure and in compliance with city rules for now. Two buildings near the former Motel 6 are still in foreclosure, are up for sale, and remain under compliance monitoring.

The corridor became one of the most visible reminders of Hurricane Helene after the storm hit in September 2024 and left some portions closed for months. The question from a viewer about the BP station, Zaxby’s and the motel-area buildings points to a larger problem across East Asheville: recovery has not just been about reopening roads, but about untangling damaged commercial property that has sat untouched long after the floodwaters receded.

Buncombe County’s recovery numbers show how much work the storm left behind. By April 1, 2025, the county said more than 1.22 million cubic yards of debris had been removed from the right of way in Asheville, Black Mountain and unincorporated Buncombe County. As of March 31, the county had logged 4,551 total PPDR applications, 316 demolition requests and 45 active demolition permits in process. Right-of-way debris removal had ended by that point, but waterway debris removal was still continuing, and county officials said PPDR demolition continued through June 30, 2025.

Even with permits moving, the pace has been slowed by the kind of reviews most drivers never see from the highway. County officials said local, state and federal requirements, including asbestos management, environmental review and historic preservation review, can delay demolition work. That helps explain why some storm-damaged parcels near the interstate have stayed up far longer than residents expected, even as nearby cleanup efforts have advanced.

Transportation repairs have taken just as long. In a December 2024 briefing, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said permanent road and bridge repairs in Buncombe County could take years. County leaders later held their 86th and final Helene community briefing on Sept. 3, 2025, a sign that the storm’s aftereffects were still being managed long after the first cleanup crews left Exit 55.