Potential projects

Information from the UNC School of Government on North Carolina public records right of access can be found here.

Over the years, several projects involving scenic roads in Flat Rock have appeared on various NCDOT, French Broad River MPO, and Henderson County TAC lists, including:

• Greenville Highway (NC 225)
  • From the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) (page 2-53), project C18: NC 225 (Greenville Highway) – W Blue Ridge Road (SR 1812) to Little River Road (SR 1123)
    • Stated purpose and need: This project specifically addresses the “dogleg” created by the offset intersections of West Blue Ridge Road and Little River Road. These two facilities combine to function as the primary east-west route in the Flat Rock area, while NC 225 serves as the major north-south route.
    • CTP recommendation: Add turn lanes, widen shoulders, and improve intersection geometrics as appropriate. Consider re-aligning the two approaches to create a single intersection. Coordinate with highway project C35.
  • From the Blue Ridge Bike Plan (page 97), Regional Priority Corridor 1a: NC 225 / US 25 from Fletcher to Flat Rock
    • Length: 16.5 miles/Cost: $4.95 million
    • Bike plan recommendations for this regional corridor include bike lanes through urban sections and bikeable shoulders and signage outside municipalities along the 16.5-mile route that spans Henderson County.
  • From the FBRMPO Draft SPOT 5.0 Project Submittal List, Henderson County New Bike/Ped Projects for SPOT 5.0 (page 10), project: Greenway along NC 225/Little River Road
    • From N. Highland Lake Road (The Park at Flat Rock) to Carl Sandburg Home
    • Project also listed as HEND-BP-6 in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2040 for the 2021-2025 time horizon (pages 227, 286-288)

  

  Flat Rock multi-use path along Greenville Highway (NC 225) (from the 2040 MTP, Time Horizon 2: 2021-2025)

  • Greenway feasibility study plan funded as of August 2017
    • Currently being completed (July 2019)

Greenway project from Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site on Little River Road (SR 1123) along Greenville Highway (NC 225) (from MPO SPOT 5.0)

• Little River Road (SR 1123)

From Henderson County TAC agenda (November 7, 2012)

• Rutledge Drive (SR 1166)

From Henderson County TAC agenda (November 7, 2012)

• W. Blue Ridge Road (SR 1812)
  • Currently on the French Broad River MPO list of potential transportation projects to submit for the NCDOT SPOT 6.0 prioritization process
  • From the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) (page 2-63), project C35: West Blue Ridge Road (SR 1812) – NC 225 (Greenville Highway) to Roper Road (SR 1807)
    • Stated purpose and need: Combined with E. Blue Ridge and Little River Roads, W. Blue Ridge Road forms the central portion of the most significant east-west connection serving Flat Rock and East Flat Rock.
    • CTP recommendation: Add turn lanes, widen lanes/shoulders, and improve geometrics as appropriate. Coordinate with highway project C17 and bicycle project C18.

• Erkwood Drive (SR 1164)
  • Currently on the French Broad River MPO list of potential transportation projects to submit for the NCDOT SPOT 6.0 prioritization process
  • From the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) (page 2-61), project C29: Erkwood Drive (SR 1164) – Kanuga Road (SR 1127) to NC 225 (Greenville Highway)
    • Stated purpose and need: Erkwood Drive forms one segment of what is functionally an “inner loop” around central Hendersonville, comprised of a series of 2-lane streets. Listed in clockwise order from the north, they are:
      • • Berkeley Road
        • East Duncan Hill Road
        • Dana Road
        • Tracy Grove Road
        • Airport Road
        • Shepard Street
        • Erkwood Drive
        • State Street
        • Hebron Street
        • West Lake Avenue
        • Blythe Street
      • Additional/alternative segments include:

• • • • • Whitted Street
        • 5th Avenue West
        • State Street
        • Hebron Street
        • White Pine Drive

• • • From CTP: It should be stressed that this ad hoc loop does not generally serve as a “bypass.” Instead, it provides circumferential access to higher-level radial facilities. Most trips use only a short segment of the “loop,” typically in the initial or final leg of a trip. However, on the eastern side of town especially, a growing number of trips are expected to use the “inner loop” to avoid congestion on US 64 and other major routes through downtown. By providing minor geometric and intersection improvements that improve continuity, the function of these circumferential facilities can be enhanced without requiring widening, or increasing travel speeds. In addition, the intersection of Shepard Street, Erkwood Drive, and NC 225 is identified in Henderson County plans as a commercial activity area. Finally, two intersections included in this project are averaging ten or more crashes per year.
    • CTP recommendation: Add turn lanes, widen shoulders, and improve geometrics and intersection operations as appropriate. Consider reconfiguring the intersection with Shepherd Street at NC 225 to eliminate the dogleg. Coordinate with highway projects C27, C28, C20, and C17 and bicycle project C17.