Lawmakers Push to Waive 18-Month Bat Study for Hickory Nut Gorge Road Repairs

North Carolina’s top federal lawmakers are urging two key federal agencies to fast-track a construction permit critical to rebuilding U.S. Highway 74A through the Hickory Nut Gorge, one of the regions hardest hit by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

In a recent letter, Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Congressman Tim Moore (NC-14), Senator Thom Tillis, and Senator Ted Budd called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expedite approval of a borrow site permit for Wright Brothers Construction, the contractor responsible for key portions of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) highway reconstruction project.

“Western North Carolina can’t afford any more delays while families and businesses continue recovering from Hurricane Helene,” Edwards said. “Each day these permits are stalled is another day our mountain communities remain cut off and our economy suffers.”

The proposed 50-acre borrow site, located in Rutherford County near the Henderson County line, would supply essential aggregate and soil material to rebuild the washed-out corridor from Gerton through Bat Cave to Chimney Rock. Lawmakers argue that the site will significantly reduce taxpayer costs, cut truck haul times from hours to minutes, and prevent further damage to already strained local roadways.

The letter, obtained by WCAB News, emphasizes that any delay, particularly a proposed 18-month "potential bat study," could further stall recovery in a region still struggling to restore transportation, housing, and economic stability. “This permit must be processed without requiring an extended bat study and in an expeditious manner,” the lawmakers wrote. “The urgency of disaster recovery, coupled with the applicant’s demonstrated compliance, warrants immediate consideration under the declared emergency.”

If approved, the permit would help speed up reconstruction efforts not only along U.S. 74A but also across other hurricane-affected infrastructure sites in Western North Carolina. Read the letter here.