Portion of parkway

to be closed due to landslide
By Scott Nicholson

A landslide on the Blue Ridge Parkway will close a two-mile section of the road for at least the rest of the year.

A parkway announcement on the closing was released March 24, with the slide located near Milepost 270 north of Boone. The closed section is between U.S. 221 and Phillip’s Gap Road, with the stabilization repairs estimated to take nine months to complete.

A detour will begin for motorists traveling south on the Parkway at milepost 269.8 at Phillips Gap Road, continuing south on Idlewood Road through the Deep Gap and connecting back to the Parkway on U.S. 221 at milepost 280.9.

Visitors traveling north will begin the detour at milepost 280.9, leaving the parkway on U.S. 221 or Old U.S. 421, continuing north on Idlewood Road through Deep Gap and connecting back to the Parkway on Phillips Gap Road at milepost 269.8. The total detour distance is about 11 miles.

The Cascades parking overlook in E.B. Jeffress Park will remain open for the duration of the project, and The Northwest Trading Post will open for business starting Apr. 15 for its regular seasonal hours.

The announcement also said “any potential impact to local businesses or for public use and enjoyment of the parkway during the 2009 spring, summer and fall season is regretful.”

The section of the parkway between Milepost 285.5 and 292 near Blowing Rock is currently closed due to repairs on Goshen Creek Bridge. Repairs are expected to be complete by June 1.

Further west of Boone, a rock slide near Asheville has closed an eight-mile section of the parkway until late spring.

Park officials also announced the spring schedule for facilities, with the Linville Falls and Otter Creek campgrounds opening Apr. 3 and all others opening May 15. Price Park is open year round and Peaks of Otter and Humpback Rocks picnic areas will open Apr. 2, with Linville Falls opening the following day.

Moses Cone information desk and bookstore will be open weekends beginning Apr. 10 and will open seven days a week beginning Apr. 24.

Boat rentals at Price Park will begin the weekend of May 16 and 17, with daily rentals beginning May 23.

The Parkway Craft Center at Moses Cone Manor House is open through Nov. 29.