Potential slide forces Blue Ridge Parkway closure near Asheville | CITIZEN-TIMES.com | Asheville Citizen-Times
Blue Ridge Parkway officials announced an emergency closure of the road today south of Asheville approaching Mount Pisgah.
Federal Highway Administration geotechnical engineers today determined that an inordinate amount of rainfall, the likelihood of additional precipitation and the tenuous condition of the slope create a high risk of failure. The slope failed in 2002 and has been closely monitored since being repaired.
Parkway personnel will move quickly to erect barriers in the potential slide area that will maximize visitor use.
The following temporary closure will be in place until further notice: from Milepost 393.6 at the French Broad river junction to Milepost 405.5 near the Pisgah Campground Country Store.
The Pisgah Inn will remain open and will be accessible from U.S. 276 at Wagon Road Gap.
Prior to today’s announcement Blue Ridge Parkway and FHWA personnel were nearing completion on designs to stabilize the slope using anchor rods drilled into the mountain. The changed conditions will require design revision before the solicitation of bids in the near future.
