ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A new infrastructure project in Asheboro is raising sewer and water concerns for some downtown businesses and residents.
Asheboro city leaders held a workshop on Monday to hear feedback and make changes.
North Street and Trade Street in Downtown Asheboro are outdated.
Sidewalks and overhead powerlines are not up to code, and the city is looking to upgrade them.
Asheboro is using $1.5 million in state funds for an infrastructure project to improve the two streets.
“With aged infrastructure, which is what we have here, we believe it’s preferable to go ahead and replace it on our schedule rather than during an emergency break. That could happen at any point of the day or night,” Community Development Director for the City of Asheboro Trevor Nuttall said.
The biggest issue is the outdated water and sewer lines that the city plans to remove with this new project.
The pipes are bad enough that earlier this year, one business had to shut down.
Other complaints include the roads not being large enough to accommodate people coming downtown.
“Parking is kind of starting to get pretty crowded … It’s just going to have to be something that we’re going to have to consider,” resident of North Street Ryan Lassiter said.
While the projects aim to make things better, construction work could affect businesses in the short run.
“I think that’s one of the biggest challenges: doing a pretty intensive excavation and construction project while still providing the needed access for the people downtown,” Nuttall said.
The city has a few months to consider these issues before construction work begins in July 2024.
