The Spur connection Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge will have more intense construction delays for most of June.

Expect longer delays during weekdays on the Spur - the road connecting Gatlinburg with Pigeon Forge with a shortcut that takes you into the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Now that the construction has moved into the milling and paving phase so the road may be resurfaced during weekdays 1 lane will be closed in each direction which will cause some significant delays.

These next few weeks will be trying especially for those in a rush. Driving above the posted speed with the road surfaces being uneven is not only risking an accident with other car and construction workers, except some enhanced speed limit enforcement and hefty fines for speeders on the Spur.

Few roads reopen in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after winter storm

Most major roads such as the Newfound Gap Road - US 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains national park still remain closed due to snow and ice, but a few roads have been opened to traffic.

The Spur connecting Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge still remains open and now the Gatlinburg bypass is also open to drivers.

On the West end of the national park on the Tennessee side divers can now drive from Townsend to Cades Cove and around the 11 mile loop road as Laurel Creek Road between the Townsend Wye and the Cades Cove loop road as well as the Cades Cove Loop Road have just been reopened.

Tremont Road just west of the Wye off of Laurel Creek Road and the Western Foothills Parkway just outside Townsend has also opened.

As we learn of more roads that open in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park we will post updated reports.

Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National park closed due to Snow and Ice

Newfound Gap Road also know as US 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains is now closed due to snow and ice from today's snow storm.

Further complicating matters this road which connects Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN will probably be closed for at least the balance of the day if not the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend as cold temperatures and significant accumulation will keep this steep winding road treacherous.

It is also possible as the snow keeps falling that Laurel Creek Road, the Spur connecting Gatlinburg with Pigeon Forge TN, Cherokee Orchard Road and Little River Road may also close if the snowfall keeps up at its current pace.

For now significant accumulation is only at the higher elevations which are now inaccessible with the closure of Newfound Gap Road. Prior to the road being closed families and kids were making the best of the snow make snow men and sledding today as seen in the photo above.