National Park Service working to keep big trucks off Newfound Gap Road
- by wvlt
- Oct 10, 2024
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Published: Oct. 9, 2024 at 11:34 PM EDT
|Updated: 2 hours ago
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Roads that connect communities around the interstates that have washed away are packed.
That includes big rigs that are trying to navigate how to get their goods where they need to be.
Nearly 200 commercial vehicles have been turned around just this week trying to enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park service said that it’s just not safe for those vehicles to enter through the windy mountain roads.
National Park Rangers are stationed at all the entrances to the park, ready to keep oversized trucks from going up the windy and steep Newfound Gap Road.
“It’s been busy out here and notice before right in here, there was about four tractor trailers. They’re having a hard time figuring out themselves,” said Tim Musto, visiting from New Jersey.
The park service said they turned away 80 vehicles on Tuesday and 92 on Monday.
With thousands of other cars making this their new route.
“The park is busy. I’m kind of used to that. I didn’t notice it exceptional, but it’s busy," said Chuck Pruim, from Michigan.
Pruim said he’s already been been stuck twice behind the truck that just couldn’t make the turn around a switchback curve.
“Got stuck behind two semis and had to just go back and wait. And then one other time, we’re wandering around, and some truck was in a really bad spot. I don’t know how he got out,” said Pruim.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation responded to roads outside of the park.
“TDOT is working to reopen them as soon possible. Those closures present problems for motorists, and especially for commercial vehicles attempting to travel on their normal routes,” said Mark Nagi.
NPS Rangers monitor vehicles entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park and turning around commercial vehicles.
(Kyle Grainger, WVLT)
“They don’t actually, probably know the road. They don’t know where they’re going, they’re falling. They’re probably, hopefully their GPS, and they’re probably not too happy when they get to those winding roads,” said Musto.
It is a $5,000 fine for a truck to drive on Newfound Gap Road.
Response to large vehicles on small roads.
(Kyle Grainger, WVLT)
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