NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Good news! More of the Blue Ridge Parkway is opening today, according to the National Park Service.
The National Park Service said they have restored access to about 11 miles of the parkway near Asheville.
The section of the parkway that has reopened is from milepost 382.5 at US 70 near the Folk Art Center to milepost 393.6 at NC Route 191 near the NC Arboretum, including the French Broad Overlook at milepost 393.8.
The National Park Service said they do not have projected opening dates for areas of the parkway north and south of the 11-mile section. There are still ongoing roadway and roadside damage evaluations and significant debris removal happening north of US 70 and south of NC Route 191.
"With today’s opening, we have now restored access to over 310 miles of the Parkway,” Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout said. “Incident teams and contractors have been working on this section for over a month, with large numbers of damaged trees, vast amounts of tree debris in the roadway, and heavy equipment at work simultaneously throughout the corridor. I am grateful for everyone involved in the effort to reopen this critical section of the Parkway.”
The Asheville Visitor Center at milepost 384 will now resume its year-round operations daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Folk Art Center at milepost 382 is expected to open on Saturday, Nov. 9.
The National Park Service said trails in this section of the parkway are open, but visitors should use extreme caution on the trails as there may be downed or leaning trees, washouts, landslides, and other damage.
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