Slide Closes Section Of Little River Road

A rockslide has blocked the western end of Little River Road within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The slide is about two miles west of Metcalf Bottoms, so an eight-mile-long portion of Little River Road is currently closed between Metcalf Bottoms picnic area and Townsend Junction. Traffic that would normally transit that section is being diverted out of the park unto US 321 in Townsend, then north on US 321 to Lyon Springs Road in Wears Valley, where motorists can reenter the park on the Wear Cove Road to Metcalf Bottoms and continue east on Little River to Newfound Gap Road and on to either Gatlinburg or Cherokee. Due to bridge weight limits, no large motor homes or buses can use this alternate route. These larger vehicles must continue on US 321 into Pigeon Forge. Park crews are evaluating the slide.  No estimated time of repairs is yet available.