Blue Ridge Parkway: Which Helene-damaged areas might reopen in late summer, early fall?

Heading into the summer season, large sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s winding path through the mountains of Western North Carolina remain closed for Tropical Storm Helene-related repairs.

But National Park Service officials said in a June 10 news release that more areas are expected to open for travel and recreation over the summer and into fall.

The 469-mile scenic byway is among the most-visited sites in the National Park Service, with more than 16.7 million visitors in 2024. It snakes across the Blue Ridge Mountains from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smokies in Cherokee.

While most of its total mileage is open for travel, the bulk of the closures are in North Carolina, north of Asheville.

Read More: Where are the most beautiful places in NC for outdoor fun (and great pics)?

Major sections of the roadway were devastated by Helene in late September, with damages that will cost over $1 billion to repair. The park identified at least 57 landslides impacting the roadway, with the highest concentration of damage occurring from the Linville Falls area and south to Mount Mitchell State Park.

“Maintaining the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the largest designed landscapes in the country, is a complex and continuous undertaking,” the release said.

“In addition to a limited construction season in many high elevation areas along the route, park managers prioritize visitor access and protecting the character defining features of the historic route when planning road maintenance and repair projects.”

Where is work ongoing?

Along the parkway in North Carolina, for the 2025 seasons, visitors can expect road maintenance and repair projects in the following areas:

Milepost 223.8, 224.7, 224.9 and 227.5, in Alleghany County:

What’s happening: Replacement of three concrete bridge decks, railing systems and rehabilitation of stone masonry and one Helene landslide repair.

What to Expect: A signed detour in place via N.C. 18 from MP 221.8 to 230. Work is expected to be complete by late summer.

Milepost 248.1 – 249.3, near Laurel Springs:

What’s happening: Full replacement of the Laurel Fork Bridge.

What to Expect: MP 248.1 to 249.3 is closed to all activity — cars, bicycles and hikers — to ensure the safety of parkway visitors and staff during construction. Continuous access to Doughton Park recreation area and The Bluffs restaurant is available from the north at U.S. 21. Mountains to Sea Trail users should anticipate an approximately 200-yard closure at the base of the bridge, at which point trail users should follow the fence line around the project site. Construction is expected to be complete by the fall.

The project is paid for by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration fund, part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance and repair backlog in national parks, according to the release.

The parkway is slated to receive more than $200 million from the fund for multiple projects to address long-needed infrastructure improvements.

Various locations between Milepost 241.1– 276.4, near Sparta/Doughton Park

What’s happening:  Repaving of the mainline motor route and repair/replacement of infrastructure.

What to Expect and Detours: Construction includes phased closures with continuous access to Doughton Park recreation area and The Bluffs restaurant. As of June 4, access to these areas is from the north, using U.S. 21. Detour signs will direct visitors around active construction areas.

This project is also funded by the Great American Outdoors Act.

Full road rehabilitation and associated closures on the mainline road from Blowing Rock to Beacon Heights are now scheduled to take place in 2026. Project work will continue this year in overlooks along this corridor, and park visitors may experience intermittent one-lane traffic control.

Milepost 224.9 – 421.8, Multiple Helene recovery projects progressing

What’s Happening:  Repair and stabilization of 12 landslides.

What to Expect and Detours: While significant work is needed to address all parkway damage due to the storm, the park service has begun roadway repairs at 12 of over 50 landslide locations to restore and stabilize the road, remove remaining debris and repair guardrails near critical transportation networks. Target dates for completion and road reopening for the projects listed here range from late summer through early fall.

Initial project locations include (from north to south):

• MP 224.9, north of Doughton Park.
• MP 284, in the Boone area.
• MP 306.8, south of Beacon Heights.
• MP 342-343, near Spruce Pine.
• MP 375.6, near Weaverville, at Bull Gap.
• MP 380.5, north of Asheville, near Haw Creek.
• MP 401.6, north of Mount Pisgah.
• MP 421.8, in the Waynesville vicinity.

Check the status of sections of the parkway at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. Visitors are encouraged to share their plans with others in advance.

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blue Ridge Parkway: Which Helene-damaged areas might reopen in late summer, early fall?

Reporting by Sarah Honosky, Asheville Citizen Times / Asheville Citizen Times

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