Asheville has received a federal grant to study transportation and infrastructure improvements along Hilliard Avenue. The planning work will examine a possible western extension and changes for people traveling by car, bus, bicycle or on foot. It is an early step meant to define feasible options before detailed engineering or construction decisions.
The study has a $650,000 budget. A 2026 U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD grant will provide $585,000, and the city will contribute a $65,000 local match. City Council unanimously authorized the competitive grant application at its Feb. 24 meeting.
One part of the study will evaluate whether Hilliard Avenue could be extended west to connect with the future Patton Avenue. That roadway is part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s $1.2 billion I-26 Connector project. Studying the connection now could help Asheville coordinate local street planning with the larger state project…