WestCare Health System officials gathered Wednesday morning
(July 23) to officially open a new section of Hospital Road.
Cutting the ribbon were, from left, board members Peggy Medford
and R.P. Jenkins, Chairman Reg Moody, N.C. Department of Transportation
board member Conrad Burrell and WestCare CEO Mark Leonard. "The
road project itself has cost around $1 million," said Brian
Thomas, WestCare's director of marketing and public relations.
"Healthcare Drive (previously the old Hospital Road) will
serve as the main drive for the hospital. All inpatient stays,
outpatient services and visitors are asked to use this main
entrance." A drive located off the new Hospital Road will
allow access to the emergency room, hospital annex and truck
deliveries. "The emergency room entrance will be located
off the new hospital road, and construction on the 20,000-square-foot
Ambulatory Services building will begin in mid-August,"
Thomas said. "At that time there will be no way to travel
from the main entrance to the emergency entrance." The
road relocation, which allows for the building addition, no
longer divides the campus. The ambulatory services building
will make physical therapy, cardio rehab, pulmonary rehab and
other outpatient services much more accessible for patients,
Thomas said. Work on the road, which is 860 feet long, took
some 15,500 man hours and 170 days, with 90 lost to weather.
Companies involved in the project included Taylor and Murphy,
W.K. Dickson, Alpha Environmental, WNC Paving, Stillwell Enterprises,
and Phillips and Jordan. - Herald photo by Nick Breedlove
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