Deal's gap closed

[TN919er]

for everyone planning on the deals gap ride, the road has been closed due to a rock slide. some say it will be closed all summer.

[mattf]

closed all summer? it wasn't that big of a rock slide, a front end loader and a couple dump trucks should have been able to clear it in a short time, maybe with a little road repair needed.

[HondaJim]

"They" don't want it reopen. That's what happens when you want to control the roads. If they were serious they would just install speed bumps on it.


It will reopen when the next budget meeting happens. The only reason they keep it open now or don't put speed bumps on it is for revenue enhancement.

[mattf]

well that makes more sense now

[Iwonttobeacan]

http://www.thedailytimes.com/apps/pb...0319960&Ref=AR
Tennessee Department of Transportation geologists will examine an embankment where rocks slid onto U.S. 129 Sunday morning.

A crew removed enough rock to temporarily open one lane of the highway to relieve a traffic bottleneck, but both lanes of the section known as the Dragon remain closed to motorists.

The Daily Times of Maryville reported TDOT engineers are developing a plan to stabilize the mountainside and reopen the highway, which is the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

With a major rock slide having shut down Interstate 40 just inside North Carolina and another closing U.S. 64 in the Ocoee River Gorge, drivers going between Tennessee and North Carolina have limited options with U.S. 129 now closed.

The closest alternative is U.S. 441 through the national park. It often is closed by snow and ice and a chance of snow was predicted for Tuesday night.

[Iwonttobeacan]

Watch out for those damn rubberneckers.

CAUGHT ON TAPE: Rubbernecker Crashes Into Tennessee Rock Slide | WJBF
Watch out for those damn rubberneckers.

[cmurphy84]

I've heard on another forum and on the the Deal's Gap Inn Facebook page that the Governor is leaving the road closed because they cannot strike a deal with North Carolina for who will patrol and provide EMT services to the road.

There are plenty of other good roads around there to ride. I'm just glad I didn't book the Two Wheel Inn on the 'other' side of the dragon.

[Kristen]

From Killboy-

I love how everything that happens on 129 is reported as "on the
Dragon". The Dragon is wide open and dead empty...epic opportunity to
ride/drive it. This slide/road closure is 5 miles north of the
Overlook, and 3 miles north of Tabcat bridge - the official "end" of
the Dragon.

Also from Killboy-
If you've ever bitched/dreamed about having the road to yourself, this is an epic opportunity...if you can get in from the south end. I'm pretty sure they'll allow government vehicles to pass, like LEOs, so don't go in thinking it's your own personal race track. There's just a LOT less regular non-enthusiast traffic to dodge in your lane now.

[hooligan919]

Interesting..... I may have to check that out. I've been saying I'm going to make it to the Gap this year. Maybe I can free up one of the couple weekends, especially if the weather is like it was today. Would have been a perfect day for a mountain run.

[rona]

Rockslide or not, I am still going. Have room,bike and company of friends and will ride other roads. Dragon will be there next year. As long as I am not working, life is good!!!!!

[jabberjoe87]

killboy also said it will reopen in april

[drewvir]

Originally Posted by HondaJim

"They" don't want it reopen. That's what happens when you want to control the roads. If they were serious they would just install speed bumps on it.


It will reopen when the next budget meeting happens. The only reason they keep it open now or don't put speed bumps on it is for revenue enhancement.

or because it's a fed road?

[HondaJim]

Originally Posted by drewvir

or because it's a fed road?

TN has enforced it. NC has offered to enforce it.

Guess it depends on where you are at. Make no mistake, there is a lot of expense in operating that road. Emergency vehicles cost money to operate, and somebody wants to be payed. It's a fine line between destroying the local economy by overwhelming the local taxpayers with the burden, and overwhelming the local economy by stiffling the tourism.

If you have spent any significant amount of time there you understand that it can become a free for all, run what you brung, to hell with the law atmosphere. I've seen so much non-street legal stuff run thru there in one day you could write tickets and clog up the courts for months. Take into account most of the offenders are out of state and you cross state lines and you have a logistic nightmare on your hands.

Full on racebikes with no lights, tags, registration, INSURANCE...... pocket bikes......go karts,.....some really cool motards........ etc. who are all trying to go as fast as possible on a road with no runoff area whatsoever that they have never been on. When the car clubs show up it can get even more insane.

You have to ride it once in your lifetime to appreciate it.

[drewvir]

jim,

i was'nt taking a poke at ya,just offering a reason they have'nt shut it down.
i've been there and your right in your observations about the place on some days.
i don't think the feds would let a state close a road with out a alternate route offered

[HondaJim]

I didn't take it as a poke. I just picked up on what you said to add onto.

Some folks from out of state don't have a clue what the place can be like. It can be quite insane, which is a fun atmosphere, until people start doing stupid stuff. Then the video cameras come out.

Originally Posted by drewvir

jim,

i was'nt taking a poke at ya,just offering a reason they have'nt shut it down.
i've been there and your right in your observations about the place on some days.
i don't think the feds would let a state close a road with out a alternate route offered

[Kristen]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Work to clear a rockslide that closed U.S.-129/SR-115 is expected to begin early April. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will let an emergency contract to clear the slide on Monday, March 29. TDOT qualified two specialty contractors, Pacific Blasting Demolition Ltd. and Phillips & Jordan, Inc., to bid on the project. Both contractors offer specialized experience in rockslide clearance and stabilization that is needed to repair the substantial and complex slide on U.S.-129/SR-115.

The emergency contract is expected to be awarded to one of the two specialty contractors on Monday, March 29 with work expected to begin no later than April 5. This will allow contractors time to transport specialized equipment to the site of the slide in Blount County.

TDOT’s contract has a completion date of July 31, 2010.

Meanwhile, detours remain in place while the stretch of road known as the Dragon is closed from the slide area to the North Carolina state line. Motorists are advised to continue to monitor the TDOT website at Tennessee Department of Transportation for updates and detour details.

[cb919er]

From EastTNriders.com

Originally Posted by used2Bfast

Just updated about todays meeting at dealsgap.com



"Friday March 26



Ok folks meeting is over, just reread my notes and here it is in a nut shell:



Contract will be awarded monday afternoon. Clean up must begin by 5 april but they can start sooner. Finish date is 31 July 2010 however, huge bonus for finishing before that. TDOT has placed what they call a safe date and are not really sure it will take that long but feel that was a date they could live with.



The barricade at the state line: It will stay there until we can get a few issues sorted out. Swain and Graham county commissioners stated they would have no issues crossing the state line and emergency management teams concurred there is no legal issues with that. The law enforcement is the big issue as it is not as easy to transfer jurisdiction because of liabilities and the dangerous nature of there business. Congressmen Heath Shuler feels that we can work with other avenues such as federal money to help pay for Blount county or TVA to work the gap if THP feel they can not accommodate. For what I heard in this meeting, most of the agencies will not have a issue moving the barricade back it is THP that will be the hold up. Congressmen Heath Shuler, Sen John Snow and Rep Roger West, all from NC will be working hard to make a deal fast with TN on getting this done. No one wants this to be a free for all but wants everyone to be able to enjoy the Dragon and have a great time in the area.



What can you do top help: Ok time to lay off the NC emails and calls other than your letters of thanks and encouragement as they are clearly on our team. We as well as our Congressmen need you to contact the Governors office not by email but please call as emails are not being addressed, email the other TN officials from our save the gap link. We need them to understand that they will lose more tourism dollars as almost all the places to stay are in there districts not western NC. So lets get the emails rocking and burn up the phones. The NC folks said they got a overwhelming response and have heard the call. Thanks Gang, I can not tell you how proud I was to hear that, we have a wonderful community. "

[FloridaMountaintop]

I drove The Dragon once back in 1985, by mistake (got on the wrong rode) and it was at night, in a 1958 Chevy with manual steering and a small Grant GT Steering wheel.

My arms needed a Ben Gay Rub down afterwards, and I did not think the drum brakes were gonna make it, but they fadded right at the end.



Now I am planning a ride for a few days, in that DIRECTION and now I find I may not be able to see the "Dragon" in the daylight.......

Oh well riding is riding, and I am going somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!