Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced that the seasonal opening of Clingmans Dome Road will be delayed until April 8. The delay in opening is necessary to complete repairs to improve drainage in the main parking area, including a culvert replacement and roadway patching. This work must be completed before the pavement preservation project begins.
Upon opening to motor vehicles on April 8, single-lane closures will be in effect on Clingmans Dome Road through Friday, Sept. 2. Visitors should expect traffic delays throughout the pavement preservation project. Single-lane closures are permitted from 7 a.m. on Mondays through 12 p.m. on Fridays and will be managed with flagging operations. No daytime lane closures will be allowed on Federal Holidays, or during the week of Easter and July 4. Additionally, no daytime work (7 a.m. – 7 p.m.) will be permitted June 15 through Aug. 15.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded the more than $2.6 million construction contract to Bryant’s Land and Development Industries, Inc., from Burnsville. The project work will consist of patching deteriorated sections of the roadbed, sealing cracks in the pavement, and applying a high-performance surface treatment. The pavement preservation work will extend the life of the existing pavement by approximately five to seven years.
Motorists are asked to reduce speeds and use extra caution when traveling through the work zone. Clingmans Dome Road will be open for the season through Nov. 30, and is subject to closure due to snow, ice, and other hazardous weather events. For more information about road closures, please follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm.
- National Park Service release
