Great Smoky Mountains Natl. Park — Clingmans Dome Road will be closed starting May 9 through May 11 to accommodate repaving of the main parking areas along the roadway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials said.
According to a press release, the work is part of the ongoing pavement preservation project that began in March.
Due to heavy equipment operations along the roadway, the area is closed to all motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists to ensure safety of crews and visitors, officials said.
On April 11, the opening was delayed due to potential snow. Previously, on March 29, the park delayed the opening of Clingmans Dome Road to April 8 to complete repairs to improve drainage in the main parking area, including a culvert replacement and roadway patching. This work must be completed before the pavement preservation project begins. It was originally set to reopen on April 1.
When the road opens to the public, the paving work will continue with single-lane closures through Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, according to the park. Visitors should expect single-lane closures on weekdays and traffic delays.
The park said lane closures will occur from 7 a.m. on Mondays through 12 p.m. on Fridays. The lane closures will be managed with flagging operations and a pilot car to lead traffic through work zones. Drivers are asked to reduce speeds and use extra caution when traveling through the work zone.
There will not be daytime lane closures on federal holidays, during the week of Easter or between June 15 through August 15, according to GSMNP.
The lane closures along the seven-mile roadway are necessary to safely and efficiently complete the project.
The park said Clingmans Dome Road is one of the most popular destinations in the park and receives more than 500,000 visitors annually. It has several scenic overlooks, high-elevation trailheads, and direct access to Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the park.
Visitors can walk along the paved, 0.5-mile trail to the top of Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet and view the surrounding mountains from the historic Clingmans Dome Observation Tower.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded the more than $2.6 million construction contract to Bryant’s Land and Development Industries, Inc., from Burnsville, N.C. The project work will consist of patching deteriorated sections of the roadbed, sealing cracks in the pavement and applying a high-performance surface treatment, according to GSMNP.
The park said the pavement preservation work will extend the life of the existing pavement by around 5 to 7 years.
Clingmans Dome Road will be open for the season through Nov. 30, and is subject to closure due to snow, ice, and other hazardous weather events, according to the park.
For more information about road closures, please follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter or visit the park website.