Blue Ridge Parkway receives $75M for road improvements in Roanoke’s corridor
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Roanoke’s corridor of the Blue Ridge Parkway is set to go under renovation after receiving approximately $75 million.
The Blue Ridge Parkway says the money came from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Funding. It will be used for major road and safety improvements.
The three-year repaving and rehabilitation program will improve the condition of 24 miles of the BRR from milepost 97 at Blackhorse Gap to milepost 121 near U.S. 220 in Roanoke. Park officials said the project includes slope stabilization, road resurfacing, and repair or replacement of draining structures.
Crews will also work on walkers, shoulders, guardrails, stone walls, overlooked, pavements markings, and signage.
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“Generations of park visitors and local residents have treasured memories of their Blue Ridge Parkway experiences, both inside the park and out in our neighboring communities,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “We know how important the Parkway is to these communities. The historic investments at work with these critical infrastructure repairs allow the Parkway to continue to serve as an economic and tourism driver for generations to come.”
The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of America’s most visited national parks. It spans across the southern and central Appalachians. In 2023, the park welcomed 16.8 million visitors.
The GAOA is part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. Including the safety improvements, the Blue Ridge Parkway is slated to receive over $200 million from the GAOA for several projects. The park says these projects will address long-needed infrastructure improvements.
To complete the construction, a Design-Build contract for the project was recently awarded. Park officials say design efforts are currently underway and feature development of construction timelines and detour locations.
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Park officials say the project will be phased with a staggered series of lane and road closures allowing for continuous access to key intersections and visitor amenities within the project limits, including the Explore Park entrance.
During the 2024 season, visitors can expect short, single-lane closures for survey and design work. Currently, full road closures for construction will most likely occur during the 2025 and 2026 visitor seasons.
Once closures are announced, maps and detour information will be available and updated on the park’s website.
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