A rock slide on Wednesday, Jan. 14 has temporarily closed Laurel Creek Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (NPS photo)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the temporary closure of Laurel Creek Road due to a rock slide that occurred at approximately 5p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Rangers closed the road on Wednesday evening, and the facility management road crew began repairs early Thursday morning. Repairs are expected to be completed by Friday, Jan. 16.
The slide area is located west of Schoolhouse Gap, approximately 5 miles west of the Townsend Wye intersection with Little River Road. The slide area covers the westbound lane and is approximately 50 feet in length. The park’s facility management crew will remove approximately 200 cubic yards of material including trees and several large rocks.
Both lanes of Laurel Creek Road, which carries traffic into Cades Cove, are closed just past the Tremont entrance road. The full closure is necessary to accommodate the removal of slide materials. Cades Cove Loop Road has been closed this week due to hazard tree removal work and will reopen tomorrow as well.
For more information about temporary road and trail closures, please visit the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm or by following the park’s Twitter account for road updates at https://twitter.com/smokiesroadsnps.
– NPS
