A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina reopened Wednesday morning for the first time since the remnants of Hurricane Helene slammed the region, but it will be a long time before the entire road is open in the state.
The National Park Service is again allowing drivers to use the parkway between milepost 285.5 at Bamboo Gap and milepost 305 near Beacon Heights in the Blowing Rock area. That 20-mile section is one of several that local residents rely on to get to and from their homes.
“We realize how critical the Parkway is for our region,” Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout said in a written statement. “While much work remains, we are prioritizing our efforts in less-damaged areas that have the most impact for community connectivity, and that we are able to reopen safely.”
Swartout said the park service expects to soon open additional sections of the parkway that serve adjoining communities.
The park service says tens of thousands of trees fell across the parkway and that heavy rain caused nearly three dozen rock and mud slides in North Carolina. The slides occurred above and below the road and severely damaged or swept away the roadbed in numerous places.