FAQ Status of A-9 Project (aka Corridor K/U.S. 74 Relocation Project) Sept. 17, 2012 1. What is happening on A-9?

At this time, the N.C. Department of Transportation is not working on the A-9BC project. 2. Why isnt NCDOT working on the project? NCDOT and its federal and state agency partners could not agree on the best way to proceed with the project. Projects of this scope and magnitude have in the past been subject to lawsuits by environmental advocacy groups. In order to make the project as defensible as possible in a court of law, all parties needed to be in agreement about the best way to proceed. Otherwise, the project could be subject to legal action that could delay it further. 3. What were these disagreements? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the N.C. Department of Natural Resources Division of Water Quality did not agree with the project alternative recommended by NCDOT and FHWA, which was to construct a fourlane road with a tunnel under the Appalachian Trail. Concerns were expressed about the projects impact on the surrounding environment, including streams, forests and the Appalachian Trail; whether estimated economic benets from the project are realistic; and whether the original reasons the project was started in 1964 such as providing a connection to prevent the region from being isolated still apply today. 4. Was anything done to resolve these disagreements? The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conict Resolution was brought in to resolve disagreements and recommend how to move the project forward. 5. What did the USIECR recommend? They recommended that as a next step, the region should establish a set of future goals in areas such as economic development and the protection of natural resources. After the region has agreed on their goals, federal and state agencies should work with the region to determine how transportation can best support those goals. 6. What is being done to implement this recommendation? A regional visioning study will begin in October.

7. What is the Vision Study? The local communities of Graham, Cherokee, Clay, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Haywood counties will work with the Southwestern Commission to outline the regions future goals in terms of economic development, environmental protection and transportation. 8. Who is doing the Vision Study? The Southwestern Commission will manage the study. The study is being prepared by a team of consultants selected by the Southwestern Commission and a group of local representatives in July 2012. 9. How long will the Vision Study take? The study will be completed by May 2014. 10. What will happen when the Vision Study is completed? The Southwestern Commission, NCDOT and other partners will review the future goals established by the region, and determine what types of transportation networks can best support those goals. 11. Will the A-9 project be built when the study is completed? Not necessarily. What type of transportation network is built, or whether one is built at all, will be determined based on the regions future goals, and may or may not include the construction of A-9 as it was originally planned. For example, options could include constructing a highway project of a different size or location, or no project at all. 12. Is NCDOT ever going to build A-9? When will NCDOT decide what will be built? When will construction begin? NCDOT will not know until the regional visioning study is complete. 13. Why did NCDOT not realize a Vision Study was necessary a long time ago? Until June 2008, NCDOT was continuing to hit milestones in the development of the project and working toward the selection of a preferred design alternative. In June 2008, NCDOTs federal and state agency partners provided the rst indications that they were not ready to move forward with the project, based on concerns such as the projects environmental impact. This was the rst time in the project development process that these concerns were expressed.