U.S. 64 reopens for public traffic marking a major milestone for Helene recovery
By Gracie Palmer
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BAT CAVE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Saturday, March 28, marked a major milestone for Helene recovery, as Highway 64 in Bat Cave officially reopened to the public for the first time in 18 months.
The highway, which connects Hendersonville to Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, and Bat Cave, is a popular route for both residents and tourists.
For the past year and a half, only locals were allowed to use it. Now, it’s finally open to public traffic.
“It still looks very different. The road is back, but the terrain has changed. Mother Nature made her new path, and we have to work around it,” said Patrick Bryant, bar manager at RiverWatch Bar & Grill.
During the closure, visitors dealt with long detours.
“To get to Chimney Rock and support them, you have to take Highway 9, which is about an hour added on to anyone’s trip,” said Brittany Walters, owner of Slick Rock Salvage.
Walters said the reopening is not only important for travel, but also for local businesses still recovering from the storm’s impact.
“It’s been a tragedy, but seeing the community pull together through this and help each other with the road and everything has been very inspiring to see,” Walters said. “We’re really excited about the road opening up. We think that it will help bring in business and more people to help support the locals.”
In Chimney Rock, businesses are already seeing the benefits of restored access, despite dealing with a brief power outage earlier in the day.
“We are just overjoyed that we finally have public access from the north side of town,” Bryant said.
As of now, Highway 64 is open from Slick Rock Road into Lake Lure, though a portion of it remains reduced to a single lane.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation says it expects the full roadway to be reopened by Memorial Day.
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