Road work begins in the Smokies
A handful of road projects will impact travel in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the coming weeks.
A paving project launched April 30 on Newfound Gap Road will cause single-lane closures and traffic delays weekdays over the coming months. Lane closures will be permitted 7 a.m. Mondays through noon on Fridays, April 30 through June 16 and again Aug. 16 through Sept. 20. Traffic will be held for up to 10 minutes at a time, with closures managed with flagging operations and a pilot car leading traffic through work zones. The work, which includes applying a thin lift pavement overlay, is funded through the Federal Highway Administration with a $3 million paving contract awarded to Estes Brothers Construction.
Striping operations on various park roads may cause single-lane closures and traffic delays through Friday, May 18, with the project possibly lasting longer if weather delays are an issue. Locations include Newfound Gap Road between Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg, Little River Road between Park Headquarters and Metcalf Bottoms, Sugarlands Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Clingmans Dome Parking Area, Cataloochee Entrance Road, and Foothills Parkway West. Work will not occur after noon on Fridays or during the weekends.
Temporary, single-lane closures will be in place along the north and southbound Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday, May 3, and again Monday, May 7, through Thursday, May 10, for routine maintenance operations.