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Jan 15, 2024

Answer Woman: Curbs trapping debris? How often are roads swept?

Today's burning question is about curbs on U.S. 74A. Got a question for Answer

Today's burning question is about curbs on U.S. 74A. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chávez at [email protected] and your question could appear in an upcoming column.

Question: "When Hwy 74 from Asheville to Fairview was widened (‘97-‘98?) to 5 lanes, curb edges were put in place. While making this road less user friendly for bicyclists, the curbs have also become a trap for road debris and growing medium for weeds. This has in turn caused the storm drains to become clogged and even a brief rain will bring deep puddles and the danger of cars hydroplaning, especially near Rocket Dr going up to A.C. Reynolds high school. Recently the NCDOT has been busy making even more curb edges where "driveways to nowhere" exist. Wouldn't it have made more sense from a safety standpoint to clean up the road debris on this 5 mile stretch of highway? As long time Fairview residents, we don't ever remember seeing a "street sweeper" provide this needed work."

Answer: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will sweep US 74A (Charlotte Highway) in the coming weeks. Part of the aim of this operation will be to address concerns like those of our reader involving debris and standing water on the highway.

Highway sweeps in the Asheville-Fairview area are performed regularly to maintain both the aesthetic appeal of community roads and the safety of Buncombe motorists. However, these intervals are longer than our asker may have expected. In this particular case, the most recent of these regular sweeps occurred last year, which may explain why our reader has not observed a street sweeper even as a long-time resident of the area.

David Uchiyama, NCDOT communications officer, spoke on the schedule and methods used in clearing N.C. roadways including U.S. 74 and the 5-mile stretch referred to by our reader.

"NCDOT operates one sweeper truck for all of Buncombe County, which consists of more than 1,250 road miles," Uchiyama said. "Crews cleared Charlotte Highway once — per the traditional schedule — in 2022."

In line with the schedule Uchiyama referred to, the DOT will be carrying out another cleanup operation in the near future. The NCDOT endeavors to remove the debris in question in the hope to prevent buildup that may create standing water and other road hazards on this stretch of highway.

"A crew from the NCDOT's Buncombe County Maintenance team has planned a sweeping operation on US 74A (Charlotte Highway) for the coming weeks," Uchiyama said. "This operation will consist of mechanically sweeping and cleaning the existing curb lines free of silt and debris. It will occur during a time with reduced traffic to reduce the impact on travelers."

Uchiyama also said the specific dates of the sweep on U.S. 74A will be determined through a separate operation. An upcoming sweep of Interstate-240 will precede the clearing of U.S. 74, and will provide the NCDOT insight on the best time to carry out their operation in a manner that will create the least inconvenience for the often crowded highways surrounding the Asheville area.

A suggestion for our reader, as well as any North Carolina residents concerned about drainage issues and standing water hazards, is to visit the NCDOT website to report these concerns. The site contains a page where individuals can fill out a form for submission detailing the problem they have observed including county, exact location, and specific nature of the drainage issue. Though street sweeps are provided on a less frequent basis, smaller scale cleanup efforts may be offered by the DOT based on information provided by members of the Buncombe community.

Uchiyama echoed our reader's sentiment regarding the importance of operations that keep roadways clean and safe.

"Street sweeping operations provide an aesthetic appeal to our roadways, as well functional and safety benefits," Uchiyama said.