After the rock slide that took place on March 14, 2010 and heroic cooperation between North Carolina and Tennessee officials, the Tail of the Dragon has been open for over two weeks. Open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily, guests of Blue Waters Mountain Lodge are really enjoying having the road to themselves. Many have commented that it is like a closed track without the nuisance of local traffic. Reminder to all would-be dragon slayers, the road is still under the watchful eye of a couple of Tennessee’s finest.
To follow the progress of the rock slide clean up, see http://earthcam.com/clients/tennessseedot/. It is still anticipated that the road will re-open for through traffic before July 31, 2010.
As for the status of other roadways in our area… The Cades Cove Loop and Parson’s Branch Road are both open. Parson’s Branch provides one way access from Cades Cove to the Tail of the Dragon. As many of our guests can attest, Parson’s Branch has always been an adventure with six miles of loose gravel and several water crossings.
The traffic is once again moving through the Ocoee Gorge on U.S. 64 after two rockslides caused five months of closure entailing a massive clean up and stabilization project. The major rockslide occurred near the dam.
Finally, I-40 has also reopened after a rockslide that took place in October, 2009 causing major detours. This closure was near the North Carolina/Tennessee state line.