If you are heading to Cherokee through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the next few months, be prepared to deal with some road work.
Park officials say a paving project will begin the week of April 30 on Newfound Gap Road, that's Highway 441 that goes over the mountains and into North Carolina. The work will continue through June 16, take a break for the busiest park visitation time, then start up again from August 16 through September 20.
The paving will take place between Newfound Gap and Cherokee.
Weather permitting, workers could be on the job during the week from 7 a.m. Monday to noon on Friday. While they are working, expect lane closures and rolling roadblocks, with flaggers on duty to direct traffic and a pilot car to lead traffic through the construction zone. The workers are permitted to hold traffic up for ten minutes at a time.
In addition, some parking areas and pull-offs will be closed intermittently.
There will be no scheduled lane closures on weekends or holidays.
