The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will soon begin a paving project at Townsend and Cades Cove that will last through all of spring.
The park said it will begin the project on the week of March 12 on Laurel Creek Road, Townsend Entrance Road and Tremont Road and is expected to last through June 15 depending on inclement weather.
Visitors to those ares should expect weekday delays with single-lane closures through the project. The park said the closures will happen along two-mile stretches of road at a time on Laurel Creek Road and up to a half a mile on Townsend Entrance and Tremont roads.
The lane closures will include flaggers and pilot cars to lead traffic through work zones. The park said some pull-offs will also be closed intermittently during work.
Work will be put on hold during weekends and holidays to accommodate traffic during peak visiting times. There will also be a a period between March 26 and April 6 when work will be put on hold.
The $2.5 million in paving work will patch holes, seal cracks and add new signage and pavement markings. You can find the latest road conditions in the Smokies at this link.