![]() On top of that, there was a major debate about any possible way forward with the project. This became a more urgent issue as time went on, but even after a decade or so had passed just the six miles of road that exists today had been completed.Įnvironmental factors were attributed to the eventual demise of the construction effort. One of the main issues related to the flooding had been that thousands of people had literally been cut off from access to family cemeteries. But this didn’t happen until around 20 years later. The flooding became such an issue that the National Park Service made the decision to provide an alternate route for the highway through the national park. It’s worth including the fact that the original road running through the area was Highway 288, the road that ended up badly flooded after Fontana Lake burst its banks in the 1940s. The history behind how the road came to be is long and somewhat complex, so we’ll try to offer a condensed version here. Image: Smoky Dan A Brief History of the Road Road to Nowhere–All You Need to Know in a Nutshell In this article, we will take a closer look at the ominously named “Road to Nowhere” and what you can expect driving or hiking along it. It is also a popular hiking destination ensconced within the mountains, serving as something just a little different to the usual adventures. But how does the idea of a scenic drive and a unique hike through a long tunnel in the mountains sound?Ĭommonly referred to as the “Road to Nowhere,” here lies a scenic route with a touch of history attached to it, and it runs through the national park. It was there that he decided to attend college at the University of Tennessee and to propose to his wife Nikol.The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an interesting enough region based on its views alone. ![]() Shuler, a former NFL quarterback who led Swain County High School to three state titles in the late 1980s, said during his campaign that he often went to a quiet spot near where the road dead-ends to mull major life decisions. Lamar Alexander and the Washington-based taxpayer watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense.Īlexander has called completion of the road - which would cross one of the largest roadless tracts of land in the eastern United States - a "terrible idea." Easley has said almost "any construction activity on the north shore of Fontana Lake threatens the delicate balance of streams, woodlands and wetlands that we in North Carolina are working diligently to protect and preserve." Shuler said he intends to push for the settlement - an option that has been endorsed by the Swain County board of commissioners, North Carolina Gov. ![]() And that seems unlikely with Shuler - and not Taylor - representing the district. So we do not know when they'll render a decision."Įven if the park service came down in favor of building the road, Congress would have to appropriate money for construction. Both, he said, "must be brought up to speed with a lot of issues across the country. ![]() The park service has called the settlement with Swain County the "environmentally preferred" alternative.īob Miller, a spokesman for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, said the final decision about what alternative to recommend is now in the hands of new Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and new National Park Service Director Mary A. In a break from tradition, the park service did not identify a "preferred alternative" in its draft report many observers have speculated that the agency was waiting to see whether Taylor would win his re-election fight with Shuler. The report identified five possible alternatives for resolving the long-running debate, including doing no further work on the road and making a $52 million payment to Swain County to buyout the 1943 agreement and extending the road to the dam - a project that comes with a projected price tag of some $600 million. ![]()
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