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Officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced that a streambank stabilization project will begin on Monday, January 3, 2022, along the Townsend Entrance Road between the park boundary and the Townsend Wye. The repairs are needed to stabilize a streambank section along Little River that was heavily eroded during a flood event occurring in February 2020.
A temporary, single-lane closure will be implemented along a 0.25-mile section of the roadway through Friday, March 18, 2022, to accommodate heavy equipment. Work will include constructing a rock wall along the base of the streambank and installing rip rap above the wall to the top of the bank. These repairs will protect the streambank from eroding further and prevent undercutting of the Townsend Entrance Road.
The Townsend Wye and surrounding parking areas will remain accessible throughout the project, although visitors should expect delays. The single-lane closure will be in place 24/7 for approximately 11 weeks. Motorists will be guided through the closure by a traffic signal. After March 18, the contractor will complete any remaining work with temporary, single-lane closures managed with flaggers. All work is expected to be complete by May 2022, weather depending.
