Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that a paving project will begin the week of April 30 on Newfound Gap Road. Work will take place along the road between the Newfound Gap area south to the park boundary at Cherokee. The project should be completed by Sept. 20 though work schedules are subject to revision as needed for inclement weather.
Visitors traveling on Newfound Gap Road should expect weekday, single-lane closures and traffic delays April 30 through June 16 and again from Aug. 16 through Sept. 20. Lane closures are permitted from 7am on Mondays through 12pm on Fridays and will be allowed to hold traffic for up to 10 minutes at a time. The lane closures will be managed with flagging operations and a pilot car to lead traffic through work zones. In addition, some parking areas and pull-offs will be closed intermittently. To better accommodate visitors during periods of high visitation, no daytime lane closures will be allowed on weekends, holidays, or from June 16 through Aug. 15.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded the $3 million paving contract to Estes Brothers Construction. Roadwork will include the application of a thin lift pavement overlay.
Info: www.nps.gov/grsm or follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter
– NPS
