News

Ask Matt ... about Lake Osceola

By Matt Matteson, Published: October 4, 2018

Q. What’s the status on opening the road across the Lake Osceola Dam?

When the contractor finishes the bridge work, NCDOT will pave the road (South Lakeside Drive) and install guard rails. State officials estimate it will be reopened sometime this fall.

Q. I have lived in the same house in Hendersonville for 30 years but it seems that jets have started flying directly overhead. Have flight paths changed due to the runway improvements?

No, says Tina Kinsey, marketing director with the Asheville Regional Airport. However, the airport is busier than ever and aircraft using AVL are increasing in size. “To give perspective, AVL was recently named by Bloomberg News as the second fastest growing airport in the country,” said Kinsey. “We have seen about a 50 percent growth in passenger numbers in the past five years.”
  

Q. I noticed that there is dead vegetation on overhanging trees on each side of I-26 near Upward Road. What is going on here?

I pitched the question to Keith Blazer, NCDOT’s Roadside Environmental Engineer. Blazer says that their crews have recently applied an herbicide to many of the primary roadways including I-26. The chemical used is called triclopyr. It is commonly used for vegetation control and is approved by both the EPA and the NC Department of Agriculture. “This is a selective herbicide, meaning that it controls only broad leaf plants and does not harm desirable grasses,” said Blazer. The contractors who do the spraying are licensed by the state. Blazer added that the purpose of the program is to eliminate unwanted vegetation near road signs and along guardrails. Over time, the more easily maintained native grasses will grow back in treated areas. Let’s hope that triclopyr can do a job on kudzu.

Q. Who controls the traffic lights on Four Seasons? There are times traffic flows smoothly, and times when you are stopped and the next light is green, then turns red when you get to go. 

Chad Franklin, NCDOT Division Traffic Engineer, said that it has been several years since they last looked at the signalization but it’s now being reviewed with hopes of launching new timing plans in the next four weeks.

Q. What happened to the BRCC channel on cable TV?

Several months ago the College began a lengthy evaluation of the channel. After consulting with stakeholders, college administrators and trustees, it was decided to discontinue the programs on Morris Broadband. One factor was that the BRCC’s broadcast audience was trending away from TV but toward mobile and desktop viewing. Another reason was that Transylvania County was not in the service area of BRCC’s broadcast channel. I think the college appreciates your interest.

Q. Where can I get those natural fiber Lion’s Club brooms?

Lions Club brooms and mops can be purchased at the Curb Market, 221 N. Church Street, or at Howard’s Tax Service on Four Seasons Boulevard next to Tractor Supply. Check operating hours for both locations beforehand. Proceeds from the sale of these products support the blind.

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