Construction Project Planned to Repair Newfound Gap Road
If you’ve been to the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ve heard of Newfound Gap Road. Chances are, you’ve driven along it. Newfound Gap Road is the only roadway that stretches through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, connecting Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC. The road will soon undergo construction that is set to begin on Monday, January 6, 2014.
The construction is set to repair a slide approximately 1 mile south of the Newfound Gap parking area, near the Deep Creek trailhead. Construction will not cause a complete closure of the road, so visitors can still drive through the mountains. The parking area closest to the construction site will be closed, but the pull-off for the Deep Creek trailhead will be open to hikers.
(See Also: The Truth About Newfound Gap Road and Driving Through the Smoky Mountains)
Throughout the construction period, lanes of traffic are expected to shift to the shoulder to maintain the two-way roadway. According to WBIR, a local news station, construction is expected to continue through mid-May, until the project is complete. The construction may cause slow traffic, so you may want to plan for a few extra minutes of driving time.
If you’ve never driven the Newfound Gap Road, we recommend taking at least a short drive along the 33-mile road. The road features scenic views of the Smoky Mountains, and showcases the variety of forests and ecosystems in the area. There are pull-offs with great photo opportunities and stunning mountain views.
If you check out Visit My Smokies’ Facebook page, you will find up to date information regarding any new lane closures of Newfound Gap Road and other construction projects in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.