Work has begun on a $29 million project to replace the Laurel Fork Bridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 248.8 in Ashe County, North Carolina. A full park closure to all uses in the immediate vicinity of the bridge is expected to be in place this week. Work is expected to take over two years to complete, with a target completion date of November 2024.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has secured two grants totaling $911,117 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support economic development planning in the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor in Virginia and North Carolina. The grants are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act and U.S. EDA’s programs to advance economic recovery and resilience in travel, tourism, and other sectors.

An 83-year-old bridge will be replaced at the Blue Ridge Parkway and 75 miles of the parkway's pavement will be rehabilitated thanks to $127 million from the Great American Outdoors Act funding.

As the Biden administration's 30 by 30 initiative moves forward, it's likely it will rely heavily on the National Park System to succeed.