A plan to close the Blue Ridge Parkway between Blowing Rock and Beacon Heights for a resurfacing project has been postponed to 2026 at the request of North Carolina’s two U.S. senators.
The U.S. Interior Department said it has agreed to pause the multi-year Great American Outdoors Act road project “to accommodate pressing community recovery needs following Hurricane Helene.”
Delaying the start of the resurfacing project until 2026 means it won’t be completed until 2027 at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the road recovery projects are slated to be completed this summer involving Helene-related mudslides ranging from milepost 285.5 at Bamboo Gap to milepost 343.2.
“While the recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene are critically important, shutting down the area from Boone to Linville Falls due to resurfacing would eliminate tourism and greatly hamper the local economy,” according to the letter sent April 10 by U.S. Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
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Budd responded to the Interior decision to pause the resurfacing by saying “as we begin to rebuild, closing the Blue Ridge Parkway at this juncture would only set us back.”
“The Parkway serves as a lifeline to small businesses and recreation access across the Appalachian Region — bringing tourists, supporting local businesses and keeping our economy moving.
“This is the right decision to prioritize the near-term recovery of our region while still ensuring the resurfacing project is completed in the future.”
David Jackson, president and chief executive of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, said the pause “will be immediately impactful for the High Country business community.”
“We would not be in this position without our partners in the Trump administration, N.C. congressional delegation, the Blue Ridge Parkway staff and the National Park Service taking the time to listen to the concerns of those in our area.”
Jackson said that with the Parkway being “an important piece of this community’s infrastructure, the long-term repairs will come, but at a time where our local businesses can have some time to catch their breath from the economic impacts of the storm.”
In terms of the Helene recovery projects, Interior officials said reconstruction work will continue in overlooks between Moses Cone Memorial Park and Beacon Heights, while also allowing continuous access to North Carolina State Park trail systems.
Single-lane traffic control for additional patching will continue in this same area to improve safety.
Background
The state Transportation Department said it has identified more than 9,000 damaged roads in western N.C., many on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
According to a study conducted by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation in 2022, Parkway visitors spent $1.3 billion in the Parkway and nearby communities, supporting more than 17,000 jobs.
The Parkway’s peak tourism season spans from the spring through the fall months.
“As the Parkway and our neighbors recover and reopen from damage sustained during Hurricane Helene, we are reminded of the important relationship the parkway has with its gateway communities” Park Superintendent Tracy Swartout said.
“We encourage visitors to explore experiences both on and off the Parkway as a part of their summer plans. Many popular destinations on the Parkway will be open and our gateway communities are eager to support visitors from far and wide.”
Swartout cautioned that visitors “must exercise caution around road projects and refrain from entering areas marked as closed — even on foot.”
