Newfound Gap Road Travel Problems
The Great Smoky Mountains are busy after reopening post-Helene. But Newfound Gap Road travel problems linger. Newfound Gap Road was closed for several days. Then reopened to traffic but problems arose. Big rigs were using the road to get through the mountains. Problems ensued big time. The narrow winding steep roads were no match for many trucks. To prevent big rigs from using Newfound Gap Road (441) through the Great Smoky Mountains, the park service is now monitoring every entrance into the National Park. Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 are both closed after the roadways gave way from nearby raging flood waters. Truckers needed an alternate route, but not through the Smokies.
After Helene
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The park service closed down Newfound Gap Road after Helene to access and make repairs. Now the road is back open but big trucks using the road were running into problems. First, there was a curfew during the night. Now the road is open but access is being denied to those big rig trucks. Park service explained the park roads including Newfound Gap Road are not structurally designed to sustain traffic from heavy vehicles. These big rigs can not safely maneuver around the many twists and tight turns in the Smoky Mountains. Many places have no shoulder on the side of the roads, and no emergency pullover areas. Meeting oncoming traffic can be dangerous for both truckers and normal vehicles. It is a $5,000 fine for a big truck to drive on Newfound Gap Road.
When the curfew was lifted and before the park service started manning the park entrances over 200 commercial vehicles were turned around and denied access just this week. Roads in Western NC and TN have been very busy since the flooding from Helene. Roads that connect communities around the interstates are packed. Without the interstates, thousands are looking for an alternative route. Thousands of vehicles are making Newfound Gap Road their new route to and from NC and TN.
Towns Open And Ready For Visitors
Many area towns near the Great Smokies are open and welcoming visitors. It is fall foliage season in the Great Smoky Mountains. Places to visit include Cherokee, Bryson City, and Fontana in NC. In TN, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Townsend, and Cades Cove are ready for busy. Tail of the Dragon area roads are open and clear. Maps might show US129 closed, but the closure is in reference to semi-truck traffic, not normal vehicle traffic. Areas that remained closed are Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, and Big Creek areas due to Interstate 40 being closed. Foothills Parkway East is closed toward Cosby. Parson Branch Road is closed due to Flint Gap Fire impacts.
