Bridge repair work will slow traffic at times through Great Smoky Mountains National Park/NPS file

Bridge repair work in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will slow traffic at times as there will be single-lane closures and occasionally full road closures, the park has announced.

The Federal Highway Administration has awarded a construction contract to conduct routine bridge repairs at 19 locations across the park through next August. The work began Monday.

“Work activity is likely to inconvenience motorists on busy days, however, closures are expected to be in place for less than a week at each of the 19 bridge locations,” said Facility Management Division Chief Barbara Hatcher. “We remind motorists to slow down when traveling through work sites to protect workers.”  

The routine improvements include bridge joint repairs, stone masonry repair, railing replacement, and deck replacement. Single-lane closures will occur along the following roadways, near select bridges, through August 2023: the Spur, Gatlinburg Bypass, Little River Road, Tremont, Laurel Creek Road, Newfound Gap Road, Smokemont, and Deep Creek. Short-duration, full-road closures will occur in the following areas: Greenbrier (Ramsey Prong Road), Tremont (gravel road section), Big Creek, and Cataloochee.

The park will announce specific dates for the temporary, full road closures when work schedules are finalized. Most of the planned repair work requires minimal equipment and is anticipated to be accomplished within a week at each location.  

The Federal Highway administration awarded the $1.3 million contract to Bryant’s Land and Development Industries, Inc. of Burnsville, NC to repair the bridges. For more information about road closures, please visit the park’s Current Road, Facility, Trail and Backcountry Updates webpage.