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Today’s question comes from a reader who noticed a round, decorative disc on a bridge along Interstate 26 in Henderson County.
Do you have a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chávez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.
Question: There is a new bridge over I-26 in Henderson County near Carolina Village. There is an etched image on some large white decorative discs. Do you know what the images represent?
Answer: There are actually eight decorative discs placed on eight bridges that span I-26 in Henderson County, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The artwork on the discs were created by Henderson County Public Schools students.
The NCDOT awarded plaques last year to eight Henderson County students who had their artwork chosen by a panel of judges to adorn piers of eight bridges that cross I-26 throughout the county, according to a news release.
Students were asked to depict scenes or places that reflect Western North Carolina. The selected winning images were transferred on 3-by-3-foot emblems and placed on each of the bridges built during the widening of I-26 in Henderson County between 2020-22. Each bridge carries an average of more than 60,000 vehicles per day, according to the NCDOT release.
“Interstate 26 is a vital part of Henderson County and NCDOT has worked to maintain natural beauty of western North Carolina in the design,” Division 14 Engineer Wanda Austin said in the release. “The art contest felt like a natural fit in expression. NCDOT is proud to showcase local talent with this important transportation linkage.”
More: Answer Man: When will Blue Ridge Parkway new bridge open and old one be torn down?
David Uchiyama, a spokesperson for the NCDOT, said the discs will remain in place for as long as they last.
“They are all placed now, and they will remain in place until when or if they deteriorate,” he said.
Below are the winners, their art, and the location of their decorative discs:
• Sofia Fernandez Rojas, Hendersonville High School: Bear Cub Eating Apple — Butler Bridge Road Bridge.
• Berit Raines, Hendersonville High School: White Squirrel — U.S. 25 Business Bridge.
• Sophia Beck, Hendersonville High School: Goat — Brookside Camp Road Bridge.
• Sophie Thomas, Hendersonville High School: Blue Mountains — Airport Road Bridge.
• Alexis Donald, Sugarloaf Elementary School: Bear in Apple Woods — Four Seasons Boulevard Bridge.
• Ryan Bartlett, West Henderson High School: Cardinal on Color — Naples Road Bridge.
• Viesna Mao, West Henderson High School: Farmer — Clear Creek Road Bridge.
• Ashlyn Webb, Etowah Elementary School: WNC Dogwoods — Fanning Bridge Road Bridge.
More: Inductees announced for 2024 Henderson County Education Hall of Fame
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
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