ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Asheville Police Department has reported double digit numbers for citations and warnings issued to motorists who have attempted a now-illegal U-turn at the intersection of Patton Avenue and Regent Park Boulevard.
The Asheville intersection, located on the western end of Captain Jeff Bowen Bridge near Sam’s Club, has long been a U-turn option for drivers looking for a quick route back to downtown. However, after concrete barriers installed on the roadway earlier this month abolished the U-turn, crashes have multiplied. .
Read our previous coverage of the Patton Avenue crash site here.
According to APD Public Information Officer Rick Rice, from May 6-26, 2026, there have been 17 citations, three written warnings and seven verbal warnings issued to drivers for attempting the U-turn. The numbers were compiled by the APD Traffic Safety Unit.
It is possible that additional traffic tickets have been issued around the intersection, Rice said.
“It is important to note that the numbers gathered may not be exact, but are considered a reasonable and representative estimate of enforcement activity during that timeframe,” Rice wrote in an email to 828newsNOW. “Because the numbers have to be pulled by using a geo-fenced area that encompasses the immediate intersection and the surrounding roadway. Enforcement actions that occur just outside of the defined geo-fenced area may not be captured in this dataset.”
Despite an increase of police presence and crashes at the site, this reporter witnessed a motorist attempt the U-turn as recently as noon this afternoon, Wednesday, May 27.
The intersection is also notorious for accumulating surface water during periods of heavy rain, such as over Memorial Day weekend, resulting in even more hazard in U-turn attempts.
Stay safe, Asheville drivers.
