ashe

Guessing again and wrong as usual. I took a break from you bunch of idiots to allow you enough rope to hang yourselves or time to eat a bullet..

Get your phone service restored Timmy?

Y'all sure make a big fuss over a **** highway....

Oh it will benefit those commuters going off the mountain for work, that I don't doubt.

However I don't really see a scenario where any major industry relocates to the county because of the road, mainly due to the other factors such as an aging populace, an under-educated populace, and a high rate of poverty.

Perhaps someone will build a nice tourist attraction once it's finished. Something that will bring folks back several times a year and from year to year.

Here's the 2010 TIP report if anyone wants to read it 120 pages Does not mention industry

https://connect.ncdot.gov/p...Report.pdf

My guess is the traffic count left the dot with little wiggle room but to 4 lane the road for safety.

I believe the decision to replace the failing 221 highway was made in Raleigh by the DOT - not in Jefferson by the county. Then idea that its purpose was to "get industry to Ashe County" has mostly been fertilized by social media.

The "get industry to Ashe County" highway will be more useful to every day drivers that get to pass blue-haired Buick drivers instead of driving 35 MPH to Deep Gap.

If the only thing we get out of the road is a safety then it is money well spent. Thank goodness we will get that and more. Like PublicInformation said, its our turn to make use of the tax money.

Well, you are a liar when you said regulars on here have been clear about not wanting any outsiders at all. To be honest, I’ve only seen one poster say that. I think it was skittles. I don’t think anyone, especially a regular on this site, agreed with him. So, I’m not just calling you a liar, it’s been proven by your own words and the reality of what’s really been posted.

Intoxication does not change the value of the opinion. Opinions that tell right from wrong and truth from lies are always valuable.

So fins, you will lie just to call me a liar?
And I don’t have any regard for the opinion of a drunkard

Regardless if any tourist or "new comers" or new industry ever uses the road, the people that live here deserve a good safe road.

This road is designed to last for around 100 years. The road it is replacing was built in 1957. It lasted for 60 years. The 1957 road replace a road (NC 60) that lasted only 30 years.

I've driven on this old road with blind curves and steep grades for over 50 years. Had two good friends that got killed on it. I've paid my fuel taxes, watched roads built with my money all over the state - and now it's my turn.

PORk Chop, you are a liar again. only a couple people have spoken against outsiders. Most on this site have been supportive of them, understand how much the county depends on them to survive.

Also, never make assumptions about my state of intoxication. I think you’ve always been wrong

Pork chop you may be a little extreme with outsider statement. Were it not for outsiders the tax rate in this county would be 1.00 per thousand.

Fins I agree with what you say. (You make more sense sober)
But I said nothing about outsiders and county jobs. The regulars on this site have been very vical about having NO outsiders at all. They don’t want second home people or even tourists.

Pork Chop, thinking that local government jobs should go to locals first is not the same as not wanting outsiders to visit or move in. By all definitions, Ashe County is a dying population. If you look at the census numbers from the last several censuses, you will see the population has not increased really in something like 30 years. But the average age of residents has gone up each year. School enrollment is decreasing. When kids graduate and go off to college, they don’t come back and raise families. Because of this, as many jobs as possible should try to motivate kids to move back home and start their careers and families.

Industry isn’t coming back. I don’t care if we build a railroad, an airport that can handle 757’s, or an interstate highway. However, given good access and a positive attitude toward higher education, there is a possibility of attracting small tech companies. Some rural mountain towns in Colorado have found that hipsters and yuppies do want to get out of urban and suburban areas when they start having kids. They have been successful catering to tech companies wanting to relocate. If anyone has driven 40/85, the section from Greensboro to Raleigh is a parking lot twice a day with people commuting hours to RTP. And don’t forget one of the biggest companies to come out of RTP was created by Ashe natives.

Something else that has been found in studying highways, people now don’t like two lane roads. Even just to visit an area. They are scared by the lack of medians and narrow shoulders. Boone and Blowing Rock found significant increases in day travelers with each segment completed of 421 and 321. Two lane highways are out of date.

Ever hear the saying build it and they will come? The four lane will surely bring fourth persons that will build attractions that will bring in more tourists. The four lane will also add to the employment. Most companies require a four lane to even consider an area. One thing that is missing in Ashe county is camp grounds and RV camp grounds. I failed to even mention second homes being built. There are multiple developments that have just been sitting since 2010. Remember those second home owners pay taxes and dont use our services.

Name - I assume you were talking to JR
I am all for bringing ing thise things that will drag this county into the 21st century

JR, just some food for thought. In 2002 UNC did a study on the benefits of roads on rural areas. It was a lengthy study that looked a the statistics behind economic growth in rural towns in North Carolina. The three statistically significant factors on non-farm jobs in rural areas are Accessibility (Roads), College Education, and Population(Census).