TRYON – Tryon commissioner Crys Armbrust said during Tryon Town Council’s June 20 meeting he felt residents should know the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is in the area for the next couple of months doing work for the Hwy. 108 project. Surveyors have been downtown this week.

The NCDOT sent the town a letter on June 15 in reference to work being done along Hwy. 108 from I-26 to U.S. 176.

Following is the letter sent to the town by Barry Hamrick, NCDOT Locating Engineer:

Dear Town of Tryon,

I am writing to notify you that representatives from the North Carolina Department of Transportation-including engineers, surveyors and geologists-as well as representatives from other state and federal agencies will be working on or near your property for the next several months collecting preliminary data for an environmental study for the project referenced above on NC 108. The information obtained will be used in the selection of a corridor for the project.

The specific area in which representatives will be working does not necessarily indicate the final location or extent of the project, which is included in NCDOT’s current 10-year plan. The plan can be viewed online at ncdot.gov/strategictransportationinvestments/ and is updated every two years.

Your cooperation in allowing NCDOT representatives to perform the necessary work is appreciated. Should you have any questions or concerns, or if I can assist you, please feel free to contact me at 828-586-0925 or Pat Tuttle, PE, PLS, Regional Engineer at 336-969-9550.

The NCDOT originally planned to widen Hwy. 108 between Columbus and Tryon to four lanes from the roundabout to U.S. 176 in Tryon. Polk County Manager Marche Pittman, Columbus Town Manager Tim Barth and Tryon Town Manager Zach Ollis have all recently reported that the four-lane plan is now off the table. Tryon Town Council held a public meeting regarding the four-lane concept earlier this year with overwhelming response against a four-lane highway. DOT officials have also told the Bulletin that the four-lane concept is no longer being considered and that the road will be brought up to standards, including repaving and curb and guttering.

Scheduling for the project includes rights of way acquisitions beginning on June 30, 2021 and construction to be awarded on Jan. 10, 2023, according to the NCDOT.