Blue Ridge Parkway near Virginia/North Carolina state line reopens
Fancy Gap, VA – On Friday morning, Nov. 1, the National Park Service restored access to an additional 16 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 201, near Fancy Gap, to milepost 217.3, at NC Route 18, according to a press release from the National Park Service.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is now continuously open from milepost 0, at the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park (the same as mile 0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway), to milepost 217.3, just south of the NC/VA state line, the release said.
The Blue Ridge Music Center, located at milepost 213, will open on Saturday, Nov. 2, including museum exhibits, park store, and Midday Mountain Music. The Center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 10.
Prior to Hurricane Helene, an existing closure related to a multi-year road project was in place on the Parkway just south of milepost 217.3. Detour signs for that project remain in place along Route 18. Until the Parkway reopens north of milepost 285.5, please disregard Parkway detour signs in this area, the release said. The detour signs do not direct traffic to an open section of the park.
“We are pleased to open the final section of the Parkway in Virginia that had been closed since the storm,” said Tracy Swartout, Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent. “I want to acknowledge the hard work of park staff, incident team members, and local communities as we cleared storm debris, evaluated damage to infrastructure, and placed roadway barriers to allow for safe visitor travel.”
Due to the severity of the storm, conditions on park roads and trails are expected to continue to change over the next weeks and months, the release said. Visitors should anticipate changing conditions and share their travel plans with others in advance.
The National Park Service has not yet completed trail assessments and caution is encouraged for trail users who may experience hazards resulting from landslides, downed or leaning trees, wash-outs, and other damage. For safety reasons, the park asks that people continue to be patient and respect remaining closures. Current known conditions and updates about the Parkway are online at www.nps.gov/blri and the park’s social media platforms at @BlueRidgeNPS (Facebook, X, and Instagram).
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This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia/North Carolina state line reopens
