EBCI Praises Early Reopening of Newfound Gap Road After August Washout

EBCI Praises Early Reopening of Newfound Gap Road After August Washout
By Staff, Cherokee 411

GATLINBURG, Tenn. — The National Park Service will reopen U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road by 4 p.m. on Sept. 12, 18 days ahead of schedule, following emergency repairs to a road washout that shut down a key corridor through the Great Smoky Mountains.

The project, led in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, restores a vital link for park visitors and gateway communities across North Carolina and Tennessee. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians joined Sevier County and its cities in supporting the accelerated repair effort.

“The successful reopening of Newfound Gap Road ahead of schedule is a testament to the strong partnership between the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration, and our local partners,” said Charles Sellars, acting superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “We’re proud to have restored this critical route so quickly, improving access for our visitors and gateway communities.”

EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks also praised the announcement in a Facebook post Thursday: “Great news! The National Park Service has announced that US 441/Newfound Gap Road will fully reopen today, September 12, by 4 p.m., an incredible 18 days ahead of schedule.”

For the Eastern Band, the reopening is more than a transportation milestone. Newfound Gap Road is a lifeline for Cherokee tourism, connecting tens of thousands of annual visitors from Gatlinburg and Sevier County into Cherokee, N.C. The corridor carries travelers to the Oconaluftee entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Museum of the Cherokee People, and cultural sites that showcase the Tribe’s living history. It also provides access to ancestral homelands and sacred landscapes that remain central to Cherokee identity.

Cleveland-based Eclipse Companies, LLC worked nearly 24 hours a day to stabilize the site and rebuild the damaged section between mile markers 12 and 13. Crews placed 120 tons of sandbags, removed 1,750 cubic yards of eroded material, delivered 2,000 tons of gravel and installed 152 boulders weighing more than 850 tons to build a new retaining wall that blends with the surrounding landscape.

The road was heavily damaged Aug. 1 when a stationary storm cell dropped two inches of rain in two hours, swelling Walker Camp Prong and undermining a 125-foot section of the southbound lane. Federal and park engineers assessed the site the next day and moved quickly to design and launch the project.

Single-lane closures may still occur Sept. 15 for striping and finishing work. Drivers are urged to use caution, as bears and other wildlife have grown accustomed to the lack of traffic during the closure.

Additional rehabilitation projects continue on both sides of the park: a seven-mile stretch on the North Carolina side through Sept. 30 and the first two miles of the Tennessee side between Gatlinburg and Sugarlands.

Newfound Gap Road is a 31-mile National Scenic Byway and critical connector for the park, averaging 5,000 vehicles a day. With Civilian Conservation Corps-era stonework and guardrails, the corridor is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.