The Great Smoky Mountain National Park announced it will be using funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to reconstruct Lakeview Drive and repair Heintooga Ridge Road.
The Great American Outdoors Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other construction funding sources are part of an effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in national parks.
The national park is using nearly $19 million for the project.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded an $18,742,587 construction contract to Bryant’s Land and Development Industries of Burnsville, N.C.
The contract involves $15,681,860 going toward the Lakeview Drive reconstruction.
Construction to Lakeview Drive will begin by replacing guardrails, constructing ADA-accessible parking spaces, new road signs, drainage repair and other miscellaneous work.
Temporary single lane closures with flaggers will be placed on July 13-14. The national park will announce official construction dates soon.
Hikers and visitors will not have access to the Noland Creek Trail, Lakeshore Trail, Goldmine Loop Trail, Benton MacKaye Trail or Lakeview Drive Tunnel.
Another $3,060,726 of the funding will go to repairing the Heintooga Ridge Road including roadway patching, crack sealing and an asphalt pavement preservation overlay.
The road will be open during construction, but temporary travel delays are possible. Visitors can access Balsam Mountain Campground, a picnic area and numerous hiking trails from Heintooga Ridge Road.
Work will be complete by September 30.
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Source: Wate News
