Showing posts with label rock slide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rock slide. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2009

2nd Rock Slide in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will keep major road closed far longer

What in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as a simple clean up after a minor rock slide on Little River Road which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cades Cove and Townsend Tennessee turned into a major project as a second landslide has left tons of debris precariously clinging to a cliff side which will take days to clean up.

About 30 truckloads of rock, lose soil and organic debris will need to be removed and carted away keep the stretch of Little Road between Elkmont and the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area closed all weekend long and will probably not open now until at least Monday.

2nd Rock Slide in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will keep major road closed far longer

As seen in the animation above there is crumbly rock on the bluff that will fall on top the Little River roadway if left alone so the park service is using heavy equipment to remove any lose rock and material which will then have to be carted away.

No injurious, damage to vehicles, structures or park equipment has been reported at this time.

Rock Slide Closes Great Smoky Mountains National Parks Little River Road

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.