Blue Ridge Parkway closure near Mount Mitchell, NC

[Foy]

The following was copied/pasted from another forum today:


A 20-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed in western North Carolina because of a crack in the pavement.

The terms of use of the copyright notice are very clear:
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. So, I've summarized what Foy originally posted here:

The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed between milepost 375, near Asheville to milepost 355 near Mount Mitchel State Park. For other information, please use the link above.


Given the length, width, and depth of the "crack", geotechnical engineering inspection will likely determine this to be a "slump" in fill material. I'm hard-pressed to imagine a fix for a slump of this magnitude which wouldn't involve many days to weeks of work.

Foy

[glc]

It doesn't look like there is an easy detour/bypass either.

[Foy]

It doesn't look like there is an easy detour/bypass either.

That's correct, glc. The closed section is along the climb from Asheville (at about 2,500') to Mount Mitchell State Park (topping at 6,700'). The Mt Mitchell massif is a huge wall with little other than the BRP providing access. The large undeveloped basis immediately south of the closure is the Asheville water supply drainage basin, a highly protected area with no public roads.

Foy

[Foy]

While looking more closely at the maps of the slump area, I discovered the Asheville water supply basin is NOT affected by the slump, but due to other vagaries of local topography, the overall closure does include the segment along the headwaters ridge above the reservoir. All this means is that repairs, whatever they may entail, would not be affected by restrictions related to the Asheville watershed.

No further updates from the NPS as to the outcome of their further inspection, and that means nothing concerning a repair/rebuilding/reopening timeline.

Foy

[Mark Sedenquist]

Foy,

Thanks for the updates -- this must be a serious blow to the BRP businesses!

Mark

[glc]

Looks to me like the best detour is as follows:

Traveling north - get off the BRP east of Asheville at either Alt-74 or US-70, take either to I-40 east to Exit 81, take that into Marion to US-221. Take that north to NC-226 back to the BRP.

Traveling south - take NC-226/US-221 into Marion, take Henderson St to I-40 to either Exit 55 or 53A and back to the BRP.

Mt. Mitchell State Park is accessible from the north only, the closure begins right at the NC-128 access road.

[Foy]

News reports state the crack in the northbound lane is increasing in length and width. Further states "assessment continuing".

I'd have to say a quick resolution does not seem likely.

Foy