Bridge repair work will close the Old Cataloochee Turnpike/Old State Road 284 starting on or around November 13th 2011 for approximately 2 weeks from the Great Smoky Mountains national park boundary in Big Creek to the Cataloochee area just past the Cataloochee Creek Road/Bypass.
As dates become firm or change, we will post updates.
Roads crews and national park rangers are surveying damage and cleaning up what they can right now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.
While all roads in the GSMNP received damage due to fallen trees, limbs and rocks, Laurel Creek Road the entrance road to Cades Cove and Wears Cove Road between Wears Valley and the Metcalf bottoms area of Little River Road are now closed to all traffic.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail off Cherokee Orchard Road has enough limbs and smalls trees down, that the park service has closed it for the winter season a day earlier than scheduled.
Laurel Creek Road should be open by 9:00 am, but crews are still trying to determine of Cades Cove can be opened then as well.
Cherokee Orchard Road past Rainbow falls has a large tree down which crews are working on and Newfound Gap Road between Cherokee North Carolina and Gatlinburg Tennessee is open as well as Clingmans Dome Road and Little River Road.
Today is the last day that Clingmans Dome Road is open as tomorrow it will be closed for the winter season.
Additional high winds and rain is expected to further pound the Tennessee and North Carolina Smokies today with wind and flood advisories and warnings throughout the area. Check out our live up to the minute Smokies weather reports and our new live weather station feed and Road Conditions in the Smoky Mountains.
Update 11/30/10 9:01 am
Laurel Creek Road is now open but Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to all traffic until crews can finish cleaning up all of last nights storm debris.
Update 11/30/10 9:05 am
Upper Tremont Road is now closed to all traffic.
Update 11/30/10 11:22 am
Cades Cove is now open but Greenbrier Entrance Road is now closed.
The Great Smoky Mountains national park has been dealing with numerous rockslides within the park boundaries and 2 large large rockslides along the Spur connecting Gatlinburg with Pigeon Forge Tennessee. Today crews are inspecting another rockslide along the same section of Little River Road between Metcalf Bottoms and the Townsend Wye that was closed last week.
Presently there is no estimated time in which this section of Little River Road will be able to be reopened. Therefore car, motorcycle, van and light pickup truck traffic is being detoured in and out of the park at the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area through Wears Gap and back in and out of the park for non commercial vehicles of all sizes at the Townsend Wye. Motor homes cannot cross the Metcalf Bottoms Bridge over the Little River and must take an alternate route of Wears Valley Road (321) when traveling between Pigeon Forge and Townsend.
Besides numerous weather related closures the Great Smoky Mountains national park has had to content with all winter, construction in Cades Cove, Clingmans Dome, Balsam Mountain Heintooga, Cherokee Orchard/Roaring Fork Motor Trail and Smokemont is severely limiting access to drivers and visitors of the park.
Drivers trying to back and forth from Tennessee and North Carolina had to contented with I-40 being closed by the NC-TN border by a huge rockslide for months, Old 284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee being closed for most of the winter due to snow, ice and downed trees, Newfound Gap Road closing often due to snow, ice and storm damage and now 129 - "the Dragon" is partially blocked due to rockslide.
Snowfall last night closed Newfound Gap Road though lower elevation roads in the park that are not closed due to construction or Old 284 which has been closed for weeks due to so many trees down, snow, ice and washout areas remain open.
Yesterday morning even though the weather was warm in lower elevations, dangerous icy conditions between Newfound Gap Parking area and Clingmans Dome Road caused a Tennessee driver of a truck along with a passenger to slide off the road and down the bank.
Park rangers arriving at the scene determine that the truck was very precarious and had to wait for rescue crews and tow trucks to arrive to stabilize the vehicle in order to keep it from falling down the mountainside before they could free the passengers who remarkably did not suffer serous injuries from such a crash.
Drivers need to use extreme caution when driving this time of the year as lower elevations can be in the 60's and dangerous ice can be on the roadways in higher elevations or in shaded areas.
Today and tomorrow calls from more snowfall and freezing temperatures and even it Newfound Gap Reopens expect that it may close again especially as melting snow and ice refreezes in the latter parts of the day.
Within an hour, every single major road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed now to the winter storm dumping snow and freezing rain on the Smokies.
There are a few vehicles stranded by Alum Cave Trailhead which have not been able to make it down the slick surface of Newfound Gap Road and the GSMNP has personnel and trucks on the way to assist them.
Presently the Foothills Parkway Spur connecting Gatlinburg Tennessee with Pigeon Forge Tennessee remains open at this time.
Current Road conditions and closures in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A large rock slide has closed the southbound lanes of the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur portion of the Foothills Parkway by the Great Smoky Mountains national park forcing southbound traffic coming from Pigeon Forge to be detoured to the northbound lane that is now become 2-way traffic.
The southbound traffic on the Spur will continue a short distance to the King Branch bridge and at that point will cross over to the south lanes of the Spur. Traffic headed north on the Spur will be funneled to 1 lane at the King Branch exchange.
Temporary electronic variable message signs warn drivers of the detour and even more traffic cones are being put in place right now by the state of Tennessee to help better separate the lanes and assist with the traffic flow.
It is unclear at this time how long this detour will stay in place before the debris from the landslide can be removed and the roadway is declares to be safe again for motorists. Since the rock slide is on the City of Pigeon Forge owned portion of the Spur the city of Pigeon Forge is responsible for the slide clean up.
Local motorists who know the back roads may do best to avoid the area altogether.
A fatal combination of high winds and saturated ground claimed the life of one of the passengers in a car on Newfound Gap Road near the Chimneys Picnic area heading toward Gatlinburg. The victim Tonya Renee Eichler, 39 from Sevierville, Tennessee was killed when large trees fell on top of the car while it was being driven by Jody Simonds also from of Sevierville.
High winds especially in the upper elevations have been buffeting the park since last night and the GSM national parks electronic variable message signs warned drivers of the high wind danger prior to the fatal accident on Newfound Gap Road.
The accident was caused when large trees fell directly onto the front passenger side of the 2003 Nissan Altima crushing and trapping Tonya Renee Eichler. The driver and his daughter who was in the back seat were able exit the car by climbing out of the windows.
National Park Rangers and a Gatlinburg Rescue crew responded quickly to the scene of the accident on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains national park where they found the deceased driver inside the smashed vehicle with downed trees blocking the road.
A passing motorist with a chain saw already had begun cutting the trees in an attempt to free Tonya Renee Eichler who was pronounced dead at the scene. The jaws-of-life were later used to extricate her from the crushed car.
Park rangers closed Newfound Gap Road and rerouted all existing southbound traffic on US 441 back down the mountain to Gatlinburg and the northbound traffic back to Cherokee.
The Simonds’ were transported by Gatlinburg ambulance to The University of Tennessee Medical Center where they were treated and released and Tonya Renee Eichler body was transported to Ft. Sanders Sevier Medical Center.
Newfound Gap Road was closed and crews started the difficult task of cleanup and had to check the balance of the roadway at daylight for any other potential hazards before reopening it back up.
Because of the high winds, various roadways have been closed as downed trees, limbs, power lines, and vehicular accidents were cleaned up in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park.
In the Cades Cove section of the GSMNP, Forge Creek Road and Sparks Lane were also closed due to storm debris in the roadway.
Story updated with corrections 1/25/10 1:15 pm
Drivers can take Little River Road from the intersection of Newfound Gap Road by Gatlinburg all the way to the Townsend Wye and then take Laurel Creek Road all the way to Cades Cove, which is now open to motorists.
Old State Road 284 remains closed and will so for days as crews intensify their efforts on Newfound Gap Road US 411 that remains closed at this time.
Drivers between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg can use both the Spur section of the Foothills Parkway as well as the Gatlinburg bypass, which has stunning views right now looking over the city of Gatlinburg with Mount Le Conte in the distance.
Both the Foothills Parkways East by Cosby and I-40 and the Foothills Parkway West starting at 321 in Walland remain closed at this time.
Current Road Closures and Openings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
First Newfound Gap Road (US 441) in the Great Smoky Mountains national park closed, now Laurel Creek Road is closed just past Tremont shutting off all access to Cades Cove, which may remain closed for much of the weekend.
Cherokee Orchard Road by the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail just outside the city of Gatlinburg has been closed below the Noah Bud Ogle cabin at the gate by the Twin Creek Science Center.
Continuing accumulation may close the rest of the parks through roads such as Little River Road and the 2 Foothills Parkways.
Current Road Closures and Openings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Little River Road connecting the Sugarlands area just outside Gatlinburg Tennessee with the Townsend / Cades Cove area is closed along with Cherokee Orchard Road and the Foothills Parkway East due the snow and ice. Snow is still falling with another few more inches expected today.
Other roads such as the Laurel Creek Road are rapidly covering over with Crib Gap being the biggest issue and at this rate sanding and plowing may not be enough.
Newfound Gap Road connecting Cherokee with Gatlinburg has been closed now for hours and may not reopen today.
Newfound Gap Road (US 441) the Great Smoky Mountains national parks main road connecting Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee North Carolina has just been closed due to ice and snow. Snow falling right now will probably make driving on Newfound Gap Road too treacherous for at least the balance of the day.
There has already been a report of a car sliding off the roadway that will need to be recovered. The driver of this car was able to make 2 cell phone calls to the Swain Counties Sheriff's office and is believed to be OK.
At least one other car is stranded because of snow and ice which was backing up the last of the traffic on the Tennessee side.
To make matters worse, a crucial section of I-40 near the Tennessee North Carolina border still remains closed because of a landslide and old 284 which will most likely close, cannot be plowed.
Those looking to go around the park will need to make very large detours on more treacherous roads that also may close so the best advice is to stay put.
The Spur section of the Foothills Parkway between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee is still open, is being sanded right now, and should be able to remain open.
In weather such as this, the best thing to do is remain safe at home if possible. If you do go out, you must have enough clothes in your vehicle to be able to withstand the weather so that you can leave your car if needed. You also need proper shoes for walking in snow and ice - sneakers are not adequate!
Weeks of rain has taken its toll on the Blue Ridge Parkway at what is the worst possible time for a closure of a stretch of roadway in the Mount Pisgah Asheville area as peak leaf season is coloring the slopes and valleys of North Carolina.
Crews are working right now to erect temporary barriers in hopes that the most of the roadway will be opened back up Friday for the 2nd weekend of peak leaf season on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The area that will remain closed would be the Ferrin Knob Tunnel Number 1.
The slope that is causing all this grief has been closely monitored by the park service since it first failed in 2002 and had been repaired and according to Bambi Teague, the Blue Ridge Parkway's chief of resource management "It has been slipping and sliding since then, but in the past three weeks, it has been moving way more than anyone expected it would" which prompted the closure.
The picture above was taken 2 days ago on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and shows how fall color has already painted the slopes and valleys in reds, yellows and oranges between US 441 and US 19. This stretch is unaffected by the closure and leaf peepers traveling from Asheville should use US 276 near Brevard or NC 151 from Candler.
A busy section of one the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks main thoroughfares will have a section closed for the next few hours between The Elkmont Campgrounds and the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area due to the cleanup in progress of a rock slide.
Visitors coming from Gatlinburg wishing to go to Cades Cove need to take the Gatlinburg Bypass or the Spur to get to Pigeon Forge.
From Pigeon Forge drivers must take 321 (Wears Valley Road) all the way to Townsend or if they choose enter the park through the back entrance on Wears Cove Road where they can take Little Rover Road all the way to the Townsend Wye.
Campers in the Elkmont campgrounds wanting to go to Cades Cove must go back towards Gatlinburg in order to take the detour around the rock slide on Little River Road.
Little River Road will be open for sure by the mid to late afternoon. We will announce and changes on the cleanup status of the rock slide in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.
The Northernmost section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Soco Road (US19) to the Great Smoky Mountains national parks main thoroughfare Newfound Gap Road (US 441) has been closed for the past 2 days due to the Stony Ridge wildfire near Cherokee North Carolina.
Fire officials believe enough of the wildfire is under control that they will be able to open the Blue Ridge Parkway some time this weekend.
The Great Smoky Mountains national parks major through road - Newfound Gap Road also known as US 441 which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee North Carolina has been closed due to ice and snow from the winter storm system that is right now in the Smokies.
Clingmans Dome Road which takes you from Newfound Gap Road near the Newfound Gap parking area up the Clingmans Dome Parking area is also closed due to ice and snow.
No other roads in the GSMNP are closed at this time, nor are any expected to close tonight.
Since the storm will continue to drop snow until as late as Wednesday it is possible Newfound Gap may periodically open and close for the next 2 days. We don't expect Clingmans Dome Road to reopen until Wednesday or Thursday.
A hard freeze with up to 4 inches of snow - how could this be since it was in the high 70's yesterday with spring wildflowers blooming everywhere the Great Smoky Mountains? It's the Smokies - expect the unexpected when it comes to weather in the Smoky Mountains.
Home gardeners and farmers alike are rushing to protecting young plants, flowering bushes and trees against the deep cold expected tonight and the very hard frost expected tomorrow night.
Snow has been falling for hours in the higher elevations such as Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome where some the snowfall is actually sticking but the biggest hazards right now are the thick fog and the slick roadways that will possibly freeze into black ice in some areas as the afternoon temps continue to fall.
Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as seen in the picture above taken today is the highest point you can drive to and Clingmans Dome Road would be the first potential road to close as the weather in the Smokies continues to deteriorate.
Gatlinburg and other high elevations in the Smokies may see as much as 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight with colder weather and another inch expected tomorrow night. This weekend we should see more seasonal weather in the Smokies reaching closer to 70 degrees again.
Will Newfound Gap Road, the major road connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee close due to snow and ice? It's very possible and Your Smokies will keep you informed of the road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and we have the best Smoky Mountains weather conditions page too.
Snow and more ice prompted the Great Smoky Mountains national park to close even more roadways deemed unsafe because of winter conditions:
Besides some trails accessible and the visitor center in the Sugarlands and the trails in the lower part of Cherokee Orchard Road in Gatlinburg or the parking area at the Townsend Wye, there is now no access to any part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in Tennessee.
Anyone venturing into the park be prepaid for brutally cold weather with high's below freezing and in upper elevations below zero or at most single digits.
Once again the main road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed due to snow and ice.
Since it is still snowing in the higher elevations in the GSMNP Newfound Gap may not reopen today.
After plenty in sanding and plowing along with strong sunlight, Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reopened.
Drivers are cautioned that there is still snow and and ice on the road which may close again if conditions worsen.
Road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are still good on all roads except the Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans Dome Road which are both closed due to snow and ice.
Between tonight’s 30% chance of snow and bitter cold weather expected for the balance of the week, even when Newfound Gap road reopens it may keep closing for the next few days.
