SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24: Two roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that have been closed since January won't reopen this week as planned.
According to the park, repairs to the Ramsey Prong Road and Greenbrier Road have been delayed because of "availability of steel beams for the Ramsey Prong Bridge."
The roads were supposed to reopen this week.
The plan now calls for the roads to reopen after April 23.
The area remains an active construction zone. It's not safe for people to be coming and going through it, according to an announcement Wednesday from the park.
The picnic area will continue to be open and accessible throughout the closure period.
Ramsey Cascades Trail, Porters Creek Trail, and Backcountry Campsite 31 will also remain closed through April 23 due to lack of access to these trailheads, Wednesday's announcement states.
Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge Trails will continue to be open, but hikers cannot access these trails from the Greenbrier area during the closure and should plan their routes carefully.
PREVIOUS STORY: Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Ramsey Prong Road and Greenbrier Road, past the Greenbrier Picnic Area, will be temporarily closed to all motorists and pedestrians beginning Monday, January 11 through Friday, March 26 to replace the Ramsey Prong Road bridge.
The picnic area will still be open and accessible, according to the park.
Officials said Ramsey Cascades Trail, Porters Creek Trail, and Backcountry Campsite 31 will also be closed through March 26 due to lack of access to these trailheads.
Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge Trails will remain open, but hikers will not be able to access these trails from the Greenbrier area during the closure and should plan their routes carefully, according to the park.
The park said crews will be operating heavy equipment along the roads and using road sections as staging areas for materials. This work is part of a larger Federal Highway Administration project to replace seven bridges and repair seven others across the park.