The intersection of Greenwood Road – US Hwy 19-E and Highland Avenue – NC 226 was a intersection of congestion.
As many will remember, the intersection of Greenwood Road and Summit Avenue could be quite the nightmare on any given evening carrying the traffic of US Highway 19-E and NC Highway 226. The infamous “bottleneck bridge” crossing the Toe River was built circa 1920. The only structure still currently standing in this photo is the Tri-County Oil Company on the right. Traffic jams were an everyday occurance here, before the construction of the Spruce Pine Bypass in 1977, and a new bridge across the Toe River in 1986. This snowy picture shows a more serene December day from the 1960’s.