ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — For Kofi Caldwell, a West Asheville resident for 20 years, living in the shadow of the Interstate 26 Connector project has felt like playing a game of ping-pong: constant back-and-forth.

“The best way I can explain is like a ping-pong ball. It can bounce between this, that. I wish they would make the big decision,” Caldwell said. “I mean, I guess after last year, they made a decision, but I just feel like, why do you keep dragging your feet on this part?”

Caldwell was referring to the long gestation period of the I-26 expansion, which has endured multiple reimaginings since its announcement in the late 1980s. The $1.8 billion North Carolina Department of Transportation initiative is intended to link I-26 in south Asheville with U.S. 19/23/70 to the north, bringing improvements to bridges and interchanges and adding greenways, bike lanes and other multimodal infrastructure along the way.

The project officially broke ground on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Officials have predicted that construction will last until 2031.

Burton Street history and the I-26 impact

While organizers hope the project will reduce congestion and ease travel across the region, the scope of the I-26 Connector project has been a source of disruption for several communities across Asheville. In particular, the interstate expansion will require the demolition, relocation or reconfiguration of several parcels of residential and commercial land in West Asheville, including in the Burton Street community, where Caldwell lives.

Burton Street is a historically African-American community between Haywood Road, the main thoroughfare of West Asheville, Patton Avenue, a major artery to downtown Asheville, and Interstate 240. The neighborhood was founded in 1911 by civil leader and trailblazer E.W. Pearson, who made his mark on Asheville through actions like the organization of the first NAACP chapter in North Carolina and the first agricultural fair in the region.

The Burton Street Recreation Center, built in 1926.
A partial timeline of Burton Street history.
Hood Huggers International is a staple of the Burton Street community and an advocate for the neighborhood.
Part of the Burton Street community garden.

Burton Street also houses historic institutions like the Community Baptist Church, constructed in 1925 and carrying on the Wilson AME Congregation, established in 1888. Many of the neighborhood’s residents have lived in the community for decades. Some families have lived there for generations.

Today, the neighborhood has added new fixtures, like Hood Huggers International, a community advocacy organization, and the Peace Gardens and Market, a multi-purpose arts space. Future development is on the horizon, too, including new community signage and the construction of Blue Note Junction, a future community resilience hub.

However, Caldwell said, it feels like progress on the I-26 Connector has been prioritized over the people who live in its path.

“It’s been, from the neighborhood side, kind of a headache. It feels like we’re being overlooked,” Caldwell explained. “We’ve been trying to fight to do the best thing for the neighborhood, but again, it’s like it’s been overlooked. Because we try to say this happened, this happened, but it’s like people look the other way.”

The neighborhood has been affected by road infrastructure before. In the 1950s, it was the widening of Patton Avenue. In the 1960s, it was the expansion of Interstate 240. Caldwell said that the most difficult thing about this new construction for his community has been the limited information about its impact.

“Several times, people are like, what are you going to do? 
What property are you gonna take? Which way are you going to go? That’s the whole synopsis, because until you decide what you’re going to do, it’s just like us up in the air. That’s the hardest part,” Caldwell said.

The Burton Street resident said that while the aim of the I-26 Connector may be to improve Asheville and its neighborhoods, it is unclear if the project will serve the real needs of his community.

“I mean, we’re trying to improve the neighborhood for everybody, but at the same time, are you going to invest in the neighborhood to help us be better?” Caldwell asked. “Because it’s older, the community center where we meet. It could have some updates, too. I mean, they’re pushing to get some upfits for that, but at the same time, between different conglomerates of who’s going to pay for it, that’s a whole ‘nother thing. 
Who’s going to invest into it?”

Burton Street community signage.

One thing is for sure: the I-26 Connector will bring change to the neighborhood. The problem, Caldwell explained, is that it has been unclear what, exactly, those changes will be. The Burton Street resident has been alternately told that he will have to move and that he will get to stay, which has made it hard to plan for the future.

“I’m not stuck here to where I don’t want to move, but I’m flexible to where if I need to move, I can move. But just let me know. 
Just don’t wait till the last minute and say, no, we’re not going to take your house, and then now I got to deal with the construction and all that kind of stuff that’s going to be right there at my house,” Caldwell said.

Though what comes next for Caldwell and his Burton Street neighbors is uncertain, Caldwell said he has found resolve in his faith.

“I just know God has got my best heart in mine,” Caldwell said. “Even though I don’t know what’s going on, I just have to stay focused on my faith and realize it’ll all work out. I may not know how it’s going to work out, but He knows the beginning and the end, so therefore I just have to know it’s going to work out, no matter how I feel about it.”

Have you been impacted by the I-26 Connector project? We want to hear from you.

As the I-26 Connector continues, 828newsNOW is looking to share perspectives on the project from the people of Asheville. If you have been impacted by the project, for better, for worse or somewhere in-between, and wish to share your story, reach out to us via email at news@828newsNOW.com.

If you would like to speak to this reporter directly, send an email to pruett@828newsNOW.com.

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