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Newfound Gap Road
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Smokies Hosts Public Meetings to Provide Updates on Roadwork Projects

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to a meeting for a project update on current and future roadwork plans for Newfound Gap Road and the Gatlinburg Bypass. The discussion will include details related to roadway resurfacing, drainage system improvements, stone-wall masonry rehabilitation, and slope stabilization in efforts to make these well-traveled roadways sustainable for continued vehicular travel by our 9 million visitors each year.

Meetings will be held on Monday, August 5th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Sugarlands Visitor Center Training Room, near Gatlinburg, TN and on Tuesday, August 6th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Oconaluftee Administrative Building near Cherokee, NC.

“We recognize that park roads such as Newfound Gap are critical arteries for traffic flow to and from our local communities,” said Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “While the completion of these road projects will improve the park road conditions, we understand the project work creates a potential impact to our local communities. We look forward to sharing our design and project management details regarding how we will minimize these impacts to our visitors and park neighbors.”

During the meetings Park staff will provide information regarding four rehabilitation projects taking place in 2013 through 2016 including current work along 6.1 miles of Newfound Gap Road near Chimney’s Picnic Area south towards Newfound Gap and future projects including resurfacing of the Gatlinburg Bypass, slope stabilization along Newfound Gap Road near the Deep Creek trailhead, and roadway rehabilitation along Newfound Gap Road from Chimney’s Picnic Area north to Gatlinburg, TN.

For more information regarding the public meetings, contact the Public Affairs office at 865-436-1207 or 865-436-1203.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Road Striping Operations on Newfound Gap Road

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

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A contractor for Great Smoky Mountains National Park will perform striping operations in NC beginning Wednesday, June 12th, through Tuesday, June 18th, along Newfound Gap Road from Newfound Gap south to Cherokee, along with various secondary roads throughout the NC section of the Park.

Operations will be completed between 7:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. for seven consecutive nights. Weather delays due to rain could cause the project to continue beyond June 18th. During the operation, traffic will be reduced to one lane for short sections. Motorists should use caution when they encounter the road striping operations and pay close attention to traffic control devices along the roadway.

For more information about road conditions, please call the park’s Road and Weather Information Line at 865-436-1200.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Next Phase of Work on Newfound Gap Road Gets Underway

Thursday, May 23, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a project to repave 6.1 miles of Newfound Gap Road will begin in May. This work is part of a multi-phased rehabilitation project that started in 2007. The section to be resurfaced extends from Chimney's Picnic Area south to an overlook approximately 2 miles south of the Alum Cave Bluffs parking area where the last phase ended.

The work will be performed under a $13.2 million contract with Estes Brothers Construction of Jonesville, VA and will be administered by the Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division. Funding is provided to the NPS through the Federal Lands Transportation Program to support this work.

Park Superintendent Ditmanson said, "In developing this contract we made every effort to minimize the disruption to visitor access to Park attractions and to our gateway communities. The contract incorporates a variety of work restrictions that are tailored to minimize lane closures during the busiest periods."

Motorists should expect delays due to lane closures through June 15. There will not be any daytime lane closures from June 15 through August 15. After August 15, daytime lane closures will again be allowed. No work of any kind will be permitted on federal holidays or during the month of October.

This section of road was last repaved in the 1980s and is badly deteriorated. In addition to the repaving, major work items in this project include the replacement of drainage culverts and the repair of several guard walls. This work is the second of three phases to repair all 15 miles of the Road from Newfound Gap to the Park boundary at Gatlinburg - a process that Park managers expect to finish in 2016.

For more information about road closures, please call the Park's Road and Weather Information Line at 865-436-1200.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Newfound Gap Road Reopens to Thru Traffic

Monday, April 15, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the completion of road repairs to Newfound Gap Road (Hwy 441) this morning. The road has been closed since the January 16th landslide that washed away approximately 200 feet of the road. At 10:00 am on April 15th, the Park officially opened the road to all thru traffic between Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg, TN.

Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson, NC Congressman Mark Meadows, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Michell Hicks, and Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) Construction Operations Engineer Emmett Melton jointly announced the opening of the road this morning 30 days ahead of the scheduled completion date of May 15, 2013. The National Park Service, FHWA, Phillips & Jordan, Inc. (P&J), APAC Harrison Division, and all subcontractors worked cooperatively in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible to restore Hwy 441 to a safe byway for the traveling public, the gateway communities, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The primary repair contract was awarded to P&J for the submitted bid of $3,989,890.00 with the completion date set at May 15, 2013. The contract included a monetary incentive of $ 18,000 per day to the each day of completion prior to May 15, 2013, up to a maximum of $504,000 offered jointly by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian (EBCI) and the National Park Service.

"We recognize the economic importance of the road to our neighboring communities and are grateful that our partners at Federal Highways Administration and were able to respond efficiently to our need and work with the contractors to make the necessary repairs in less than 90 days," said Superintendent Ditmanson.

APAC Harrison Division completed Phase 1 of the reconstruction project on February 21, 2013 by developing the access road to the slide area, removing of debris, and stabilizing the slope above the work area. P&J mobilized equipment on February 22, 2013 to begin Phase 2 of the reconstruction project which included rebuilding the roadway and filling the area washed away during the landslide with crushed stone.

The final design includes over 200 feet of pipes to allow for the drainage of subsurface water flow along with 150 feet of side drainage leading to a culvert at the end of the slope. This drainage system and previous crushed stone material will further protect the road and park resources from future damage due to both overflow and subsurface water flow. The fill area was naturally sloped and planted with seed. In addition, erosion measures were put into place along the 900 foot debris field below the landslide which was also seeded.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Road work on Newfound Gap Road anticipated to be complete by mid-May to early June

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains officials announced today that work is progressing to repair the landslide which has closed a section of Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) within the national park. Two key steps are already underway to initiate the reconstruction of the road.

A contract has been awarded for the first phase of work to APAC – Atlantic, Harrison Division to develop an access road to the slide area, remove debris, and stabilize the slope above the work area. This phase is estimated to cost around $200,000 and will prepare the site for the second phase of work which will involve a complete reconstruction of the roadway. This first phase began on January 28th, and is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

The contracting piece for the second phase, involving the actual road reconstruction, was initiated on Friday January 25, when Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) posted a pre-solicitation for qualified contractors with interest in repairing the landslide. The contract for this phase of work is estimated to cost between $3,000,000 and $7,000,000, and is expected to be awarded by mid-February. Final construction work will begin soon after.

The schedule of the road reconstruction will be determined by the information received in the solicitation package, but is anticipated to be complete by mid-May to early June. Newfound Gap Road will remain closed to thru traffic during the construction, but visitors are still able to access the park to Newfound Gap from the Tennessee side and to Smokemont Campground from the Cherokee entrance.


In the meantime, visitors will still have access to Newfound Gap from the Tennessee side, and will be able to travel to the Smokemont Campground from the Cherokee entrance.

The landslide occurred after a rain storm stalled out across the region. An in-park weather station near Cherokee, NC recorded 11.3 inches of rain between January 13th and January 17th.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Field Survey on Newfound Gap Road Landslide Completed

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have been working with the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) to assess damage to Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) as a result of a January 16 landslide. The FHWA has completed their field survey work, and are now in the initial stage of preparation work to reconstruct the 200 linear feet of road.

This first phase of work will include the stabilization of the slide, removal of landslide debris from the work area, and the completion of a path for construction vehicles to access the section of the slide below the roadway. The work is being coordinated by the FHWA and is expected to begin as early as next week.


While the preparation work is taking place, the design of the road repair is in the development process. The road will be reconstructed as a reinforced full slope roadway. The design will allow for the drainage of water which will protect the road and park resources from future damage. This second phase will begin when the initial site preparation work has been completed. A timeline of completion cannot be determined until the final design has been developed and approved.

“We recognize the importance of Newfound Gap Road to our neighboring communities in our tourism based economy,” said Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “Therefore we are evaluating all reconstruction options to make sure the road work is completed in a timely but safe and efficient manner.”

The park is moving forward on re-vegetating the three acre debris field with native species to aid in sediment and erosion control. This measure will prevent run off from draining into the Beech Flats Prong stream located just below the slide area.

While the access from Gatlinburg to Cherokee will remained closed during the construction period, Newfound Gap Road has been opened from the Gatlinburg, TN entrance to Newfound Gap, and from Cherokee, NC entrance to Smokemont Campground. Visitors who want to sightsee and recreate in the park will still find opportunities through both entrances.

The landslide occurred after a storm stalled out across the region. An in-park weather station near Cherokee, NC recorded 11.3 inches of rain between January 13th and January 17th.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Newfound Gap Road Landslide Update

Thursday, January 17, 2013

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The first assessment of the landslide which occurred in Great Smoky Mountains National Park along Newfound Gap Road in North Carolina shows that the landslide is approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material or 350-400 feet. It is around the length of a football field and 45-50 feet deep. The slide is still active and an assessment team, made up of Park Staff and Federal Highways employees, observed debris continuing to fall.


The park still does not have an estimated time frame for the road to be open. Federal Highways and park staff are continuing to look at the site to assess options for repair and is hoping to have a rough estimate of a sometime in the next week. Inclement weather is expected over the next few days which may hinder the assessment team.

Further updates on the road condition will follow as details are determined.

Here's a map showing the location of the slide:




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Part of Newfound Gap Road will be closed indefinitely due to landslide

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

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A landslide along Newfound Gap Road near mile marker 22 has caused an extended closure of the road. Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) due to a landslide which undercut the road near mile marker 22 between Collins Creeks and Webb Overlook at 9:40 am. The slide is estimated to be a 200 foot section of road extending 1000 foot down slope, but the full extent of the damage is not yet known. The closure is expected to be in effect for an extended period of time.


The park is evaluating the remainder of the roadway, but anticipates Newfound Gap Road will be opened to visitors from the Gatlinburg Entrance in Tennessee to Newfound Gap Parking lot as soon as it is possible. The road will be open to Smokemont on the North Carolina side.

Park staff are working with the Department of Federal Highway’s Construction and Geotechnical Services to evaluate the slide damage and to begin planning for repairs. Additional details will be released as the condition assessments are analyzed.

As of midnight, Tuesday, January 15, the park received 8.56 inches of rain measured at Cherokee, 7.4 inches at Newfound Gap and 6.86 inches at LeConte. Rivers and streams have been running fast and high since Sunday when the rains began. More rain is expected for the area today and tomorrow.

There are currently multiple temporary road closures throughout the park due to high water, including:

• Cades Cove Loop Road due to flooding
• Upper Tremont Road due to flooding
• Forge Creek Road
• Cataloochee Entrance Road
• Old NC-284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee
• Toms Branch Road

For the most current road closure reports, please call 865-436-1200 x 631 or follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Smokies Announces Extensive Vista Clearing Project

Thursday, March 22, 2012

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Whenever the National Park Service has surveyed visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park about their planned activities while in the Park, the number one response has always been "viewing scenery - scenic views." Over the years the number and quality of those scenic viewpoints along Park roads has gradually declined. When Park roads were constructed, the forests had been extensively logged and often burned in pre-Park days, leaving unobstructed views in every direction, but 75 years of forest recovery has resulted in many of the scenic overlooks becoming obscured by maturing trees.

Over the next few months a Park contractor will be rolling back this "natural clock" by reopening 34 of the most popular roadside vistas along the Park's main roads. Park officials say that this will be the first major vista-clearing initiative in decades.

Acting Park Facility Manager, Charlie Sellars said, "We have developed specific clearing prescriptions for every one of the 34 overlooks scheduled for treatment. In each case we will have a Park staff person assigned to guide the contractor in determining which trees should be removed entirely and which will be trimmed or thinned."

The Park's goal in renewing its vista management program is to allow the views to be maintained on a seven year cycle. To achieve this, the contractor will apply herbicides to the stumps of the taller-growing tree species to prevent their re-sprouting. At the same time, they will be leaving the lower-growing or shrubby species, like rhododendron and mountain laurel, un-cut, so that eventually these low-growing native species will shade out and discourage the re-growth of the taller trees with less work by Park crews.

Motorists can expect to see vista management under way from April 1 through August 1 along Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, the East and West Foothills Parkway, the Gatlinburg Bypass, Rich Mountain Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Lakeview Drive and Cataloochee Road. No roads are expected to be closed to complete the work, but the overlooks being cleared will be closed as needed to accomplish the work safely.

This sounds like great news to me. Looking forward to the improvements!


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Improvements to road side views in the Smokies

Saturday, March 3, 2012

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The latest issue of the Cub Report from the Great Smoky Mountains Association has an interesting tidbit for those that enjoy stopping for the spectacular views at the overlooks on Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans Dome Road:

Special crews will be at work this spring trimming trees near the park's scenic overlooks to improve the views for motorists and other visitors.

Over the years, many of the overlooks along Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, and other thoroughfares have grown over to the extent that they no longer offer views of the mountains.

The landscaping work will be done in such a way as to encourage low growing native shrubs to thrive while discouraging the growth of tall trees.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Stop Sticks deployed to end pursuit on Newfound Gap Road

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

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NPS Digest is reporting that stop sticks were used on Newfound Gap Road to stop a man fleeing from rangers last week.

Last Wednesday morning, November 2nd, supervisory park ranger Bobby Fleming contacted a man in a parked vehicle in the Chimneys Picnic area. While talking to the man, Fleming saw drug paraphernalia in plain view and ordered the man out of his vehicle. He refused to do so, and instead, sped away at a high rate of speed. A pursuit ensued down Newfound Gap Road and north towards park headquarters and the Sugarland Visitor Center.

Gatlinburg PD officers and district ranger Steve Kloster joined the chase. Kloster placed stop sticks on the highway just south of the Little River Road – New Found Gap Road intersection. The man swerved onto the shoulder, but the stop sticks still caught and flattened his left front and rear tires, which began to shred. He continued driving on the rims for another mile before stopping. After being taken into custody without incident, several charges were filed against the man. Others charges are pending.

For several years, the park has prepositioned stop sticks at its three main entrances. In 2011 the park purchased more of them for patrol vehicles and ranger stations. In this incident the stop sticks were critical in ending the pursuit quickly without a motor vehicle accident or injuries to anyone involved.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Road Work on Newfound Gap Road and Gatlinburg Bypass

Monday, April 18, 2011

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors can expect minor delays between now and May 23 while work is underway to repave the Gatlinburg Bypass and the 1.5 miles of Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) just south of Gatlinburg, TN.

From this morning, April 18 through Thursday afternoon, April 21 there will be single-lane closures along the 1.5 mile segment of Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg and the Sugarlands Visitor Center while a contractor seals cracks and patches potholes.

During the two weeks of May 2 and May 9 the Gatlinburg Bypass will be closed from Monday mornings until noon on Fridays. Those closures will be in effect 24 hours a day because both lanes will be blocked while short sections of the road base are excavated and rebuilt and the expansion joints are replaced in the Ski Mountain Road overpass.

During the weeks of May 16 and May 23 motorists will again find single-lane closures between Gatlinburg and Sugarlands Visitor Center from Monday mornings until noon on Friday as that road is re-paved.

Normal traffic flow will be restored on all the weekends from noon on Friday until 6:00 a.m. Monday.





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Smokies provide more details on Newfound Gap Road project

Saturday, February 19, 2011

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Earlier in the week the Great Smoky Mountains announced on their website that work on Newfound Gap Road will force single lane road closures this spring.

Yesterday, the park released additional details of this phase of the multi-year project:

Motorists traveling across Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) can expect to experience delays beginning March 1, 2001 when work begins to rehabilitate 2.4 miles of the road from the North Carolina state line at Newfound Gap northward into Tennessee. The work will be performed by Estes Brothers Construction, Inc. of Jonesville, VA. under a $7.8 million contract with the Federal Highway Administration.

In addition to repaving that segment of the road, the contractor will be repairing thousands of feet of stone masonry retaining walls and several drainage culverts. At two locations the retaining walls will require extensive re-construction to support the roadbed, necessitating the closure of one lane between March 1 and June 10, 2010.

At the upper retaining wall worksite, just above the Morton Overlook, flaggers will be used to control traffic around the lane closure during daytime hours, from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., but two-lane traffic will be restored overnight. At the lower site, traffic signals will be installed to control alternating north-bound and south-bound traffic around the clock, seven days a week.

From June 11 until August 15, daytime lane closures will not be permitted, but will be allowed overnight from 9:00 p.m. through 8:00 a.m.

Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said, “We try very hard to minimize impacts on Park visitors due to road construction. We applied this same lane closure schedule when we rebuilt the North Carolina end of Newfound Gap Road from the state line to Cherokee, NC between 2006 and 2010 and found that delays were modest and complaints almost non-existent.”

Completion of the current contract is scheduled for October 2, 2012. This work is the first of three phases to repair all 15 miles of the Road from Newfound Gap to the Park boundary at Gatlinburg, TN a process that Park managers expect to finish in 2016.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Single lane closures on Newfound Gap Road

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

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The Great Smoky Mountains announced today that there will be single lane closures between mile marker 13.5 and 14.2 on Newfound Gap Road (US-441) for almost 3.5 months this coming spring.

The closures will be in place for construction work on retaining walls along the road. During the closures, from March 1st to June 10th, traffic through the construction zone will be managed by traffic signals and flaggers.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Smokies Snow update

Saturday, November 6, 2010

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The upper elevations of the Smokies received their first big snow of the season over the last day-and-a-half.

Allyson Virden, resident manager at the LeConte Lodge, is reporting that Mt. LeConte has 8.5 inches of snow on the ground. At 8:30 this morning she reported a crisp 16 degree temp as well!

Clingmans Dome Road and Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC is still closed due to the ice and snow.

If you're planning to travel on US-441 through the park this weekend, it's a good idea to call 865-436-1200 for road and weather updates before making an attempt. You can also call 511 in either North Carolina or Tennessee to access the Department of Transportation Information Line for updates on US-441.

A little more snow is expected in the mountains of Western North Carolina and the Smokies throughout the morning. To keep up up-to-date with weather forecasts you can also click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Snow and Ice closes Newfound Gap Road

Friday, November 5, 2010

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In addition to yesterday's announcement about Clingmans Dome Road being closed, the Smokies website is reporting this morning that US Hwy 441 (Newfound Gap Road) between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC is also closed due to ice and snow.

The website also has this posted warning:

A winter storm advisory is in effect for the mountains (above 3,000 feet elevation) through 5 AM EDT Saturday. If you are planning to travel on US-441 through the park this weekend, please call (865) 436-1200 for road and weather updates. You can also call 511 in either North Carolina or Tennessee to access the Department of Transportation Information Line for updates on US-441.

The National Weather Service said more snow (2-4 inches) above 3000 feet is possible.

As of early this morning, Allyson Virden, one of the resident managers at the LeConte Lodge, is reporting that Mt. LeConte has already received 1.5 inches of new snow.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Six injured in RV crash on Newfound Gap Road

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

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Yesterday was not a good day on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441). After being shut-down as a result of a rock slide on Sunday evening, the main artery through the park was reopened late in the morning, only to be shut-down once again just a couple of hours later.

Around noon yesterday, a large motor home went off the road and slid about 100 feet down an extremely steep embankment, injuring six of its seven occupants – two seriously. The accident occurred on the North Carolina side of the park - roughly 3 miles south of Newfound Gap.

The driver of the motor home was attempting to pull off the Newfound Gap Road onto the shoulder, but was unable to stop before the shoulder became too narrow to support the vehicle. The RV fell onto its side and slid about 100 feet down the embankment. The driver was uninjured, but all six passengers were hurt – two with severe injuries were flown to a hospital in Asheville, while the other four were taken by ambulance to Cherokee Hospital with less serious injuries.

Newfound Gap Road was shut-down around 12:30 p.m. as emergency personnel from the park and several North Carolina agencies converged on the scene to provide medical assistance to the patients and conduct technical rescue operations. When emergency personnel arrived on scene, all but two of the passengers were alongside the road. The two victims who were airlifted out had to be hoisted up the embankment by medical personnel.

The road remained closed through the early evening in order to allow a crane service to remove the RV from the site.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Rockslide shuts-down Newfound Gap Road

Monday, August 23, 2010

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Update: U.S. 441 (Newfound Gap Road) is now reopened.

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A rockslide in the Smokies on U.S. 441 (Newfound Gap Road) yesterday evening has shut down the road to all traffic from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, NC.

The slide occurred near Collins Creek roughly six miles north of Cherokee and has impacted both sides of the road.

The road is expected to open sometime mid-morning today.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Smokies seeks comments on rehabilitation of Newfound Gap Road

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

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The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to rehabilitate 14.5 miles of Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) on the Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to reconstruct many of its stone masonry guardwalls. The work area runs from the Park’s entrance near Gatlinburg to the North Carolina state line at Newfound Gap. Work is scheduled to begin in November 2010 and be completed in phases over the course of six years. The NPS is soliciting public comments in response to an Environmental Assessment (EA) which evaluates the potential resource and other impacts of that proposed action.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent, Dale Ditmanson said, “This action is needed to address the deterioration of the pavement, safety concerns, circulation and parking problems. In addition, the cut stone guardwalls, most of which were constructed about 70 years ago by the Civilian Conservation Corps, are deteriorating with age, impacting the historic character of Newfound Gap Road. All these factors have been increasing the park’s routine maintenance and intermittent repair costs as well as posing safety hazards.”

The EA examines two alternatives; no action and the NPS preferred alternative.

The preferred alternative consists of improving the safety of Newfound Gap Road, improving the condition of the road and associated features, and maintaining the integrity of Park resources. Specific activities under the proposed action, would include: rehabilitation of the road surface, rehabilitation of road shoulders where needed, reconstruction of settled sections of roadway to restore stability of embankment, rehabilitation of existing stone masonry guardwalls, reconstruction of guardwall sections to meet current crashworthiness criteria in areas with a demonstrated safety risk, and adding new guardwall and/or guardrail extensions or transitions in areas.

The EA is available, and comments may be submitted online at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website.

Comments must be received no later than April 21, 2010.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
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Several road closures in Smokies due to snow

Saturday, December 5, 2009

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As a result of the snow and ice in the region, the following roads in the Great Smoky Mountains are now closed:

* Newfound Gap Road (US 441), Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC

* Little River Road from Gatlinburg to Townsend

* Cherokee Orchard Road in the Roaring Fork area

* Lyons Springs Road (a.k.a. Wears Gap Road)

* Foothills Parkway East, Cosby, TN to I-40

* Cataloochee Entrance Road near Maggie Valley, NC

* Old NC 284, between Big Creek, NC and Cataloochee, NC

For Gatlinburg, the forecast is for snow, mainly before 1 pm. High near 36. North wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

The forecast for Cherokee is for snow, mainly before 4 pm. High near 35. North wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible, with little or no snow accumulation expected into the evening.

You can keep up with current weather conditions and forecasts by clicking here.

For the most up-to-date road closing in the Smokies, please call (865) 436-1200.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
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