1:07 p.m. January 29, 2013
Newfound Gap Road landslide repair work to begin at a cost of
up to $7.2 million


GATLINBURG -- Great Smoky Mountains National Park has awarded a contract for the first phase of work to begin for restoration of Newfound Gap Road where a landslide occurred on January 16, 2013.

Road work began on January 28 to repair damage done by a landslide on January 16.
Image courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

APAC -Atlantic, Harrison Division will complete the first phase of work on the road to develop an access road to the slide area, remove debris, and stabilize the slope above the work area. This phase is estimated to cost around $200,000 and will prepare the site for the second phase of work which will involve a complete reconstruction of the roadway. This first phase began on January 28, and is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

The contracting piece for the second phase, involving the actual road reconstruction, was initiated on Friday January 25, when Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) posted a pre-solicitation for qualified contractors with interest in repairing the landslide. The contract for this phase of work is estimated to cost between $3,000,000 and $7,000,000, and is expected to be awarded by mid-February. Final construction work will begin soon after.

The schedule of the road reconstruction will be determined by the information received in the solicitation package, but completion is anticipated to be by mid-May to early June. Newfound Gap Road will remain closed to thru traffic during the construction, but visitors are still able to access the park to Newfound Gap from the Tennessee side and to Smokemont Campground from the Cherokee entrance.

Published January 29, 2013

Related Articles:
• Reconstruction of Newfound Gap Road following January 16 landslide to begin next week
• National Park Service expects final assessment of Newfound Gap Road landslide later this week
• First assessment made of landslide on Newfound Gap Road
• Landslide causes indefinite closure of Newfound Gap Road