NCDOT closes US 74A near Buncombe line after storm damage
A collapsed 48-inch culvert shut US 74A near the Buncombe-Henderson line, sending eastbound traffic onto a long detour through Cane Creek, I-26 and U.S. 64.
NCDOT closed a stretch of US 74A near the Buncombe-Henderson County line after heavy rains collapsed a 48-inch culvert between Sugar Hollow Road and the county line, forcing drivers onto a marked detour that loops through Cane Creek Road, U.S. 25 South, Interstate 26 East and U.S. 64 East before returning to US 74A.
The closure hit a road that matters to more than through traffic. Drivers using US 74A between western Buncombe County and Henderson County include commuters, school trips, delivery traffic and emergency responders who depend on a direct route across the county line. With the highway shut at the damaged section, even short trips in the area could take longer and push more vehicles onto connecting roads that are not built to carry the same volume.
NCDOT said the work followed heavy rains Monday night that created several damage sites near the line. Crews closed the road to replace the culvert safely and expected to reopen the section Tuesday, pending additional weather. The department also warned that more rain could reveal additional damage before repairs are complete.
The same storm caused problems on the Henderson County side of US 74A, where drainage pipes were overwhelmed and tree debris was scattered across roads. Low-volume secondary routes closed as of Tuesday morning included Bearwallow Road, Kelly Hill Road, Konatoga Circle and a gravel section of Middle Fork Road.
The repair fits a broader pattern across western North Carolina, where major storms have repeatedly exposed weak points in the road network. NCDOT’s Helene repair information lists the US 74A project in Henderson County as a 2.6-mile stretch of highway and a bridge damaged by Hurricane Helene, with an estimated cost of $126 million and an anticipated construction start date of April 2025.
Buncombe County’s recovery planning says Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024 caused devastating flooding, landslides and damage across the county. The latest closure near the Buncombe line underscored how quickly a single culvert failure can interrupt travel, strain detours and remind mountain communities that storm repairs remain a daily transportation issue, not a one-time cleanup.
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