GRANDFATHER, N.C. — An approximately 20-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway has reopened near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, the National Park Service announced on Tuesday.
Since Helene, the entire stretch of the scenic parkway in North Carolina has been closed. The parkway through Virginia has already since reopened
"We realize how critical the Parkway is for our region,” Tracy Swartout, the Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent, says in a statement. “While much work remains, we are prioritizing our efforts in less-damaged areas that have the most impact for community connectivity, and that we are able to reopen safely."
The reopening of this particular section of North Carolina parkway comes as non-essential travel to western North Carolina is once again being permitted in some locations.
Areas like Blowing Rock, Boone and West Jefferson with direct access from U.S. Route 321 have reopened to tourists. Groups like the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce suggest tourists avoid areas with active ongoing recovery efforts, respect local curfews, and check service hours and availability with local businesses and hotels.
Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway are warned some trails and facilities along the reopened section may still be closed. Among the ongoing closures:
- Interior of the Moses Cone Manor House and Carriage Barn restrooms at milepost 294.0
- Boone Fork Trail at milepost 296.5
- Price Park Campground at milepost 296.9
Confirmed facilities that have reopened include:
- Bass Lake (restrooms available) at milepost 294
- Moses Cone Manor House parking and carriage trails (no restrooms available) around milepost 294
- Price Lake Picnic Area (expect portable toilets) at milepost 296.4
- Other trails between milepost 285.5 and 305 (with a warning to use extreme caution)
The National Park Service has deployed its Eastern Incident Management Team to clear debris from the roadway. In total, over 200 miles of road have reopened in the two states. Over 100 National Park Service employees from 37 states and the District of Columbia are working on recovery efforts along the parkway.
"We are anticipating opening additional sections of the Parkway that support adjoining communities, soon," Swartour wrote.
The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles through North Carolina and Virginia. It transitions to US 411 in Cherokee, North Carolina. US 411 continues from western North Carolina through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into Tennessee. The National Park Service reopened that stretch of US 411 to traffic earlier in the month. US 411 provides an alternative to drivers in the absence of Interstate 40, which has remained closed between the two states since the storm. However, commercial vehicles are prohibited from using both US 441 and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The idea to construct the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway dates back to 1933. Portions of the construction was funded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal public works programs.
Across western North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Transportation says it will take several billion dollars to restore the state's damaged roadways. The federal government has pledged support specifically to reopen I-40 and I-26.
The Associated Press contributed to this story