TALLASSEE, Tenn. — As of Monday, motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts will once again have access to most of a twisty stretch of road known as "The Dragon."
But a rock slide that caused the segment of U.S. Route 129 to be shut down in March will still block access from the Tennessee side of the road that winds into North Carolina.
In the meantime, traffic will be able to enter from the North Carolina side near Robbinsville and turn back about two miles from the rock slide, just short of the Foothills Parkway that many enthusiasts follow to accommodations in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The slide also cuts off roads coming from Maryville and Knoxville.
Workers on Saturday were perched about 160 feet above the road surface, jarring loose rock from the face of the cliff above the original rock slide. Vancouver, British Columbia-based Pacific Blasting has been promised a $195,000 incentive to finish the project by July 1.
The detour has ended. Travelers can head east and west once again on I-40 through the Great Smoky Mountains. Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane are now OPEN and BACK IN BUSINESS!
