By Tim Gardner
A part of U.S. Highway 221, mostly in Avery County, which has been closed for more than a week for emergency pipework to be installed after recent heavy rains caused a deep sinkhole, is likely to re-open on Wednesday, June 28, Avery County Sheriff Mike Henley told High Country Press.
The total road closure spans more than 1.5 miles from the intersection of N.C. Highway 194 (3-Mile or Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman Highway) to N.C. Highway 183 in Burke County, near Famous Louise’s Rock House Restaurant.
The sinkhole is in the Linville Falls Community, which has sections located in Avery, Burke and McDowell counties.
Henley said the sinkhole was massive, approximately 27 feet deep, but the road there has almost been entirely fixed. He added that the road needed repairing even before rains caused the sinkhole as there has been a dip in it there for some time.
Crews blocked off the road from both directions and detours were set up. Drivers heading north on U.S. 221 out of McDowell County have been using a detour onto N.C. Highway 183 and then onto N.C. Highway 181. Traffic heading south in Avery County have been using the same detour or N.C. Highway 194 (3-Mile or Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman Highway).
The only traffic being allowed past the detours has been that of Department of Transportation (DOT) work crews, law enforcement or other emergency authorities, and people who live or work in the Linville Falls or Turkey Perch communities.
“There haven’t been any issues with people using the detours during the time the sinkhole necessitated having to use them. And on behalf of law enforcement, D.O.T and Avery County Government, we appreciate people’s patience,” Henley noted.
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