Highway 321 Construction Pictures - Check out the Progress for Yourself

Road construction always seems to take forever, especially when it effects your commute directly. In the case of bringing up the 4 lane from the bottom of the mountain in Lenoir all the way through Blowing Rock to Boone, they are taking on a truly monumental task that will make for a seamless commute if you're coming to our area from Charlotte or Hickory. If you see the construction on a regular basis, it's astounding to see the incredible work that's being done.

If I have my facts straight, the project was approved in 2004 and plans to be completed by 2014. Portions are nearing completion as far as Blackberry Road but the final phase into Blowing Rock has not yet been started.

The road will continue to be closed Tuesday and Thursdays from 12PM-2PM so that the workers can do a controlled blast and then clean up the rubble. There are also intermittent delays throughout the day, so you need to account for extra time when traveling.

There really isn't a good detour if you're trying to get around the construction other than to come to Boone from the 421 (Wilkesboro) side. Sampson road and Globe road are options but they are hard to navigate and travel unless you have a county map and 4WD.

The best advice I have if you're traveling to the Blowing Rock - Boone area from the South is to avoid the road all together during peak hours, be patient and realize that it takes a lot of time to move mountains.