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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Newfound Gap slide repairs under way
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(as appeared in The Daily Times, Maryville, TN. Feb. 28)
By Dick Byrd
Tourism leaders and businesses on both sides of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line are hoping, and some are pushing, for quick completion of a huge landslide on Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Work has already been underway for 6 days to rebuild the slide area located about 7 miles below Newfound Gap on the North Carolina side.
The slide is huge. Park spokesperson Molly Schroer says an underground spring, unknown until the slide, exacerbated the problem caused by the heavy rainfall in January, estimated at 14 to 17 inches in all. The road has been closed since the slide. Roadblocks are in place at Indian Gap about a mile below Newfound Gap and at the Collins Creek Picnic Area...both on the North Carolina side of the park. Tennessee traffic can still travel from Sugarlands to Newfound Gap and on to the Clingmans Dome Road and Indian Gap. Though the Clingmans Dome Road has been closed for winter the park is opening it again weather permitting. Tourism leaders and businesses on both sides of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line are hoping, and some are pushing, for quick completion of a huge landslide on Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Work has already been underway for 6 days to rebuild the slide area located about 7 miles below Newfound Gap on the North Carolina side.
Construction workers at the slide site are filling the yawning hole with rock, some from the slide and more trucked in. In all an estimated 4 thousand truckloads of rock will be used to fill the giant hole. Below the roadway itself, where the side of the mountain spread out through the forest there is a giant mud field. The Park service has already seeded that area with native plant seeds and plans on letting nature take its course rehabilitating the area.
Tourism businesses from Townsend to Gatlinburg, from Cosby to Cherokee have been feeling the dent being made in tourist visits because of the huge landslide. Park visits were down in January 1.4%. Schroer has no idea right now if February will be similar.
Phillips& Jordan, Inc. of Robinsville, NC won the bidding process to repair the road and has a May 15 deadline. The contractor will be paid $3,989,890 if the work is completed by May 15th. If it finishes before then it can earn $18,000 for each day before May 15th. The incentive money would come from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians for each day up to 14. An additional incentive of $18,000 per day up to 14 more would come from the National Park Service. If the work is not completed by May 15th an $18,000 per day penalty would be accessed. Molly Schroer told The Daily Times any penalty money would not go to the tribe, but would go to the park service.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
FEB. 22 2013 TIME LAPSE LOOK ROCK WEBCAM
THIS IS THE LOOK ROCK WEBCAM ON THE FOOTHILLS PARKWAY IN BLOUNT COUNTY, TN. OVERLOOKING THE TENNESSEE SIDE OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. This is from before dawn till after sunset.
http://www.outragegis.com/weather/img/animation/yesterday/LookRock.gif
Friday, February 22, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
NPS OPENS CLINGMAN'S DOME ROAD EARLY
Release Date: Immediate
Contact: Molly Schroer, Molly_Schroer@nps.gov, 865-436-1203
Date: February 14, 2013
Clingmans Dome Road to Open
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced that Clingmans Dome Road, a popular high elevation visitor destination, will open to traffic as weather conditions allow as early as February 15. The road will continue to be monitored for hazardous conditions throughout the remainder of the winter season, and will still be subject to closure pending inclement weather.
Winter weather, especially at high elevations, is often unpredictable, which is why the Park typically closes the road from December 1 through March 31 of each year. Milder temperatures over this season have allowed for better access to the road for visitors wanting to reach the popular park destination of Clingmans Dome, the highest point accessible by vehicle.
The road will not be plowed, though, if snow or ice develops. It will instead be closed so visitors may utilize the area for winter recreation, such as cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
For the most current road closure information, please call 865-436-1200 x 631 or follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
LOOK ROCK MOODS
Look Rock webcam sits along the Foothills Parkway...a part of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The webcam overlooks much of the park, particularly the Tennessee side. That view has many moods. Here are some of them.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Cherokees partner with Park on landslide repairs
Great Smoky Mountains News Release
Release Date: Immediate
Contacts: NPS: Dana Soehn, Dana_Soehn@nps.gov, 865-436-1207
EBCI: Lynne Harlan, lynnharl@nc-cherokee.com,828-554-6712
Date:
Park and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Partner to Offer Early Completion Incentive for Newfound Gap Road Repairs
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) have partnered together to offer an early completion incentive for repairs to Newfound Gap Road (US 441) which was closed due to a January landslide. An extended road closure has significant economic implications for our tourism-based gateway communities.
Park officials and the EBCI worked together to offer a monetary incentive of $ 18,000 per day to the selected contractor for each day of completion prior to May 15, 2013, up to a maximum of $500,000. The amount donated by the EBCI will apply to the first 14 days of the incentive period at the above rate.
EBCI Principal Chief, Michell Hicks, and Park Superintendent, Dale Ditmanson, recognize the importance of Newfound Gap Road as a vital economic artery linking the NC and TN communities, as well as its importance to park visitors who enjoy the unique driving experience.
“We are grateful that our Cherokee neighbors offered to match the National Park Service $250,000 incentive proposal in order to motivate the contractor to complete the rehabilitation of the road as efficiently as possible,” said Superintendent Ditmanson.
In addition to the monetary incentives, the contract also includes monetary disincentives. The contractor will be charged $18,000 per day past May 15, 2013 to help insure the project is completed on schedule.
The contracting piece for phase 2, involving the actual road reconstruction, was initiated on Friday January 25, when Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) posted a pre-solicitation for contractors with interest in repairing the landslide. Through this process a number of successful contractors submitted acceptable technical proposals and are now eligible to submit a bid to for the project. Bids from these contractors are due February 15, 2013. The contract for this phase of work is estimated to cost between $3,000,000 and $7,000,000. Final construction work will begin soon after.
Phase 1 of the reconstruction project is on schedule. Phase 1 contract crews from APAC –Atlantic Harrison are in the process of building the haul road, stabilizing the site, and removing debris to prepare the site for Phase 2 reconstruction. Soil erosion mitigation efforts to stabilize the debris field and minimize siltation into Beech Flats Prong stream have been completed. In addition, Park biologists have completed all environmental compliance associated with the road reconstruction.
Newfound Gap Road will remain closed to thru traffic during the construction, but visitors are still able to access the park to Newfound Gap from the TN side and to Collins Creek Picnic Area from the Cherokee, NC entrance.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Great Smoky Mountains News Release
Park Roads Suffer Flood Damage
Great Smoky Mountains National Park suffered significant damage to park roads and trails following a flood event last week resulting in the temporary closure of sections of gravel roads within several popular areas. Closed areas include Greenbrier Road past the Greenbrier Ranger Station, Cataloochee Road past Palmer Chapel, and Parson’s Branch Road.
During the rain event on January 30th, the Park received over 4 inches of rain in 24 hours resulting in flooding of streams throughout the park which were already swollen from higher than normal precipitation throughout January. Average rainfall during January across the Park averages 5-7 inches of rain, but the Park received 14-17 inches of rain this January.
The gravel roads in Greenbrier, Cataloochee, and Parson’s Branch were washed out exposing underlying rock and culverts. Park crews are assessing the damage and estimate that repairs will be completed by the end of March. In addition to replacing culverts, roads will need to be graveled and re-graded.
High waters also destroyed the pedestrian bridge across Walker Camp Prong along the popular Chimney Tops Trail. The 70-foot long pedestrian bridge, originally built in the late 1950s, will have to be entirely replaced to allow trail access. Trail crews are assessing bridge replacement options and do not yet have a date estimate for completion
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
Great Smoky Mountains National Reschedules Prescribed Burn
Great Smoky Mountains News Release
Release Date: Immediate
Contact: Dana Soehn, Dana_Soehn@nps.gov
Phone number: 865-436-1207
Date: February 1, 2013
Great Smoky Mountains National Reschedules Prescribed Burn
Fire management officials at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have announced plans to conduct a 200 acre prescribed burn just inside the Park south of Wears Valley in Sevier County, Tenn. The burn is scheduled to occur sometime during the months of February through April. A local wind event canceled the burn back in November 2012. Prescribed burn operations are expected to take 2 days.
Great Smoky Wildland Fire Module, a National Park Service crew of wildland fire specialists, will be conducting the prescribed burn to reduce the build-up of flammable brush inside the Park boundary in order to reduce the risk of an uncontrolled fire. “Protecting our neighbors is a high priority,” stated Shane Paxton, Wildland Fire Module Leader. “Along with the positive ecological effects of controlled burning, we are reducing dangerous fuel loading near several homes which will help tremendously if there is ever a wildfire in the area.”
The planned burn area is bounded by Wear Cove Gap Road, Indian Camp Branch, Little River Road, and the Park boundary. In preparation for the burn, Wildland Fire Module personnel have been clearing brush and leaf litter along the Park boundary and Indian Camp Branch, which will serve as fire control lines to keep the fire within its planned boundaries. Park fire fighters and cooperator fire engines from Wears Valley Fire Department and Townsend Fire Departments will be prepositioned to patrol the lines and suppress any fire that threatens the containment lines.
This unit was also burned successfully in 2009. The burn is part of a multi-year plan to reduce fuel loadings in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) in Sevier County. Prescribed fire is a proven effective tool in returning forests to their pre-suppression splendor.
Closures for firefighter and public safety during burn operations include Wear Cove Gap Road from the Metcalf Bottoms bridge to the Park boundary at Wear Cove Gap along with Roundtop Trail. Residents should expect smoke in the area
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