Town of Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor said late on Friday afternoon the NCDOT notified Town Manager, Josh Ward, that the planned paving of Main Street, US 64, and NC 28, scheduled to begin in April, has been postponed until April 2020. The five million-dollar funds for the project were diverted to hurricane relief. The project’s funds will be put back in the forthcoming budget.
In the meantime, Ward has requested the DoT make several temporary patches to problem areas such as the one in front of Reeves Hardware on Main Street.
The delay gives the Town Board of Commissioners time to research adding trees on Main Street without the concern of beating the original DoT pave date.
“The trees on Main Street issue was tabled at the last meeting,” said Taylor. “The delay of the paving of Main Street gives everyone time to reassess plans and designs for planting the trees. It is not a dead issue, just an issue that now has more time to process. The pressure to act immediately is now gone.”