Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441), the only highway crossing Great Smoky Mountains National Park between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, will be closed from sunset Tuesday, September 1, until late afternoon Wednesday, September 2.
On September 2, 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt stood at the North Carolina-Tennessee on Newfound Gap Road and dedicated Great Smoky Mountains National Park “for the permanent enjoyment of the people.” This momentous historical event will be celebrated with appropriate fanfare on its 75th anniversary this Wednesday, September 2nd. A rededication ceremony event with 2,000 invited guests has been scheduled for the same spot where FDR stood on that long-ago day.
Public safety concerns have prompted officials to order the closing of U.S. 441 through the park from sunset Tuesday until late afternoon Wednesday.
Highway 441, the only east-west route through the park, links Great Smoky’s two major gateways of Gatlinburg, TN, and Cherokee, NC. Motorists are cautioned to choose alternate routes and allow extra time for the detour.
Comments
It is interesting to me that they are catering to "invited guests" instead of the regular folks that come to the park all the time. I wonder what you needed to do or pay or otherwise influence someone to be an invited guest?
MRL -
A reasonable question, and the park was apparently sensitive to that point. The park staff put out a press release that invitations to the event were available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis, but they were snapped up very quickly. I was going to run that information on the Traveler, but decided not to do so when I found out the tickets were already gone.
There's no doubt some of the spots went to political leaders and others who are in positions to make decisions to help (or not help) the park - for better or worse, that's a reality for any such event.
Thanks for clarification.
What is the best way to find out 441 road conditions--traffic, closings for weather, etc--throughout the period that I40 is closed?
For updated road and weather information, call the park at this number: (865) 436-1200. Once you hear a voice, dial extension 631 for road information or extension 630 for a weather forecast. You may wish to write this number down when traveling to the area for handy reference for road and weather updates.