Urgent pipe repair closed Swannanoa River Road, visitors rerouted
A weekend emergency repair by the North Carolina Department of Transportation closed a segment of Swannanoa River Road between Tunnel Road and Governor’s View Road from 7 a.m. December 6 until 7 a.m. December 7. The closure restricted through access for vehicles not belonging to area residents and redirected visitors to the WNC Nature Center and nearby attractions to use Azalea Road, affecting weekend travel and parking patterns.
The City of Asheville posted an advisory on December 5 announcing that the North Carolina Department of Transportation would perform urgent pipe repair work on Swannanoa River Road. Crews closed the road segment between Tunnel Road, also known as US 70, and Governor’s View Road beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday December 6 and continuing until 7 a.m. on Sunday December 7. The work prohibited through access for vehicles not belonging to area residents during that period.
The closure had immediate practical effects for residents and weekend visitors. Access to the Western North Carolina Nature Center and adjacent venues was maintained, but drivers were directed to approach those destinations via Azalea Road. The advisory functioned as both a traffic warning and a parking advisory for travelers in the area over the weekend, with the city and NCDOT asking residents to monitor NCDOT social media channels for updates and any further closures.
Local businesses and cultural sites that rely on weekend traffic likely experienced changes in arrival patterns as visitors followed the alternate routing. The temporary diversion increased local traffic along Azalea Road and may have influenced parking demand near the nature center and nearby attractions. Residents who live along Swannanoa River Road and nearby streets had to accommodate repair activity and altered vehicle access during the work window.
The repair underscores the ongoing challenge of maintaining aging infrastructure while minimizing disruption to daily life and to the visitor economy that supports Buncombe County. Coordination between the city and state transportation officials was evident in the advisory, which sought to balance the urgency of repair work with clear instructions for travelers.
While the specific repairs were completed on schedule early Sunday morning, officials asked residents and visitors to remain attentive to transportation updates on state channels as similar urgent repairs can arise with little notice. For future weekend travel to the WNC Nature Center and surrounding neighborhoods plan to use Azalea Road if closures are announced and check NCDOT social media for the latest information.
