Those of you who have been to Deals Gap in westernmost North Carolina know the beauty of the area and why it's such a draw for MINI owners as well as many other car clubs.

There is a proposal to build an interstate highway from Savannah to Augusta to Knoxville through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Many feel that the only benefit to such a highway is to interstate trucking. Most local communities impacted do not want this road. The many sound arguments against such a road can be found at the link below.

You can learn much more about the project here:
http://www.stopi3.org/index.html

If you'd like to digitally sign a petition against the project:
http://www.petitiononline.com/pplvshwy/petition.html

 

Signed and passed on to others. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I work for the highway department for the State of Louisiana. I see citizens fighting our projects all the time. I'd say 75% of the time they are trying to stop something that is good and necessary. Most of the time its people being selfish and only thinking about themselves and not the rest of the community.

When I first saw this post I rolled my eyes a bit then checked out the website. I still didn't see anything that would make me side with the dissenters. Then I google mapped the area. Ok, I'd like to see them explain why they need another interstate when they have: I-95, I-16, I-26, I-20, I-40, I-85, I-75 & I-77 all covering the areas around the route that I-3 would go. There is absolutely no need to create a through route when you have that many alternate routes. And that "relieving congestion" in Atlanta talk is such a load of BS I can't believe they actually put that out there.

Keep raising a ruckus, that's about the best thing people can do to stop a highway project.

 

From www.tailofthedragon.com:

" Some rumors about the Dragon's future. The first involves a proposed Interstate that will follow US129 from Robbinsville to Knoxville. This is virtually impossible because of various endanged species that exist in the area and the fact that US129 ROW borders the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, a hands off area for any such projects."

I'm not too worried, it is highly unlikely that this would ever go through. . . .

 

I've got to disagree. Having lived in the East Tennessee area almost half of my life, this is a needed road. To get to the US Southeast you have to go one of two ways...to the southwest to Chattanooga an then Atlanta or to Asheville to Charleston. Neither is a direct route. Try going from Anderson/Greenville to Knoxville. You are in for a long trip. Athens to Knoxville is just as bad.

No I don't want a lot of beautiful country laid waste to. I grew up in this area, I still go home and travel the West N. Carolina/East Tennessee area. But I would rather see ONE interstate with the federal guidelines than no controlled growth. Three weeks ago I drove the back roads from Anderson to Asheville and was just amazed at the crap that is popping up on the right of ways.

I suggest one of two things if people want to conserve scenic drives. Make them Federal like the Blue Ridge Parkway, or let that Interstate go through and pass stringent growth plans around where people want to preserve the areas it passes through.

But don't deprive the rest of the area a needed highway.

 

After reading this: http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-003.html I have to say that I think that the proposed route would be moved further west in NC. The first article that I read on the subject was in Creative Loafing in Atlanta and just concerned itself with Georgia. I don't see how the proposed route could follow what is now suggested. One caveat here, many endangered species are going to probably be removed this year or next. That could change a lot of things everywhere.

 

There are plenty of cities in the US which are not _directly_ connected by interstates. To use that as an excuse or reason for building an interstate makes little sense. This whole deal is being foisted on us by pork politicians looking to increase traffic and tourism into their areas. Making someone's drive quicker and easier is the last thing on their minds. If it were then they would not route interstates through major cities; they would route them near the cities and then connect to the cities using spur roads. Sometimes natural barriers (mountains, lakes, seas) don't need to be breached just to make someone's drive a little bit shorter. You just account for it in your plans and either leave a little earlier or arrive a little later.

 

Just because you have to go the "long way around" doesn't mean that a new interstate is a necessity. What's worth more scenic areas or a short drive?

And controlling the areas surrounding an interstate is not easy. Quite the contrary. Even if the a portion of the I-3 route was declared scenic the gov't can only impose building limits for so many feet. Regardless of that development would occur further devastating the area. I have driven from Philly to Louisiana through TN on those eastern insterstates. They move well. Take the longer route.

 

I see everyone's point. But what do you want? Do you want to keep most of the traffic on one road, the interstate, and keep the development within just a mile of so of that major artery or do you want to it scattered all over the place. I've seen the area develop from what used to be a scenic area in many parts, to what is now a mish mash of everything from Waffle Houses to porno shops to clusters of house trailers. I brought up the distances travelled as just one reason. The best way to preserve an area is to manage the growth. I'm seeing the natural coast of N. Florida disappear because no one thought 15 years ago that the growth would come. Now the roads are coming in and the big money is getting all the voice. The coast is becoming wall to wall condos. Growth management is the only way to save what you want in the long run.

 

Andrew is right as far as the highway goes, but what is going to happen is worse than the road. Anyone who has been between Fontana and Deals Gap along hwy 28 the past few months knows that major amounts of property are being sold on the Little Tennessee River and in a couple years you may never even see the river for the condos driving hwy 28.

 

sndwave, thanks for making my point, but I'm not happy about it.

 

I'm not familiar enough with the area and the traffic flow patterns to know if an interstate is truely needed through the area.

But, honestly I can't see an interstate being cut along US-129 in Deal's Gap. The geography of the surrounding area isn't exactly condusive to building a wider road than what's already there. If anything it would make more sense to (dare I say it) straighten US-129 than to try and build a 4 lane interstate through that area.

Maybe the stretch of US-129 from Tapoca down to Robbinsville could handle a wider road than what's there, but the engineering and cost issues invovled with trying to cut a road through Deal's Gap I think would ultimately be the death of this proposed project... That's just the technical issues surrounding this project, then factor in the environmental mitigation efforts that are going to be needed should this project go forward (which we know are going to be extensive) and the pricetag for this project is going to skyrocket...

Besides, aren't there other alignments through the area that make more sense?

Now granted the site in the link above is only providing information on one side of the subject, but I do think it's intereresting that neither Tennesse or North Carolina seem to be all that enthusiastic about the project.

Bottom line, I wouldn't loose sleep over this project. I would be willing to bet that an alignment along US-129 in Deals Gap will kill the project not long after the environmental impact statements come out, if it even makes it to that stage. It definately wouldn't hurt to sign the petitions, or for those of you who live in the area to contact your local politicians, but in the end this will die like a lot of other proposed highway projects...

 

Killing the road now is "managing the growth". Allowing the roads with no
controls or foresight on the development is what has led to the situation on
the FL coast. If the roads aren't there, then the access isn't there, and you
don't have the uncontrollable growth.

 

So not true. Now a days these developers are getting their permits, building these residential communities (condos or huge subdivisions) when the road system isn't there or isn't able to handle the traffic that'll be on the road.

You see prime examples of that here in Lafayette. We have at least 7 or 8 "communities" being developed. These are 200-500 home subdivisions. They are building them on a 2 lane country state highway. Now once they get filled and traffic comes to a stand still everyone will complain that the highway department needs to fix the problem even though we didn't cause it.

So the infrastructure/road system not being there does not mean that the development won't occur.

 

Good point. But the county planning commission dropped the ball by allowing
it. In addition, the "good roads" have to at least be within economic reach or
the whole thing falls apart.

For Deal's Gap and the surrounding areas, the best thing to do for now is still
to kill the road

 

I guess I don't understand why you need a direct route from point A to anywhere in the country. Some areas of the country are rural for a reason.

On the other hand... be honest about what you're defending here... are you defending a road, or the wildlife and scenery. Most people, admit it or not, want to save a road. of course, as a road (and not a tourist attraction) it's pretty useless.

Anyway, just be honest with your arguments. Don't come in talking about beautiful this, and endangered that, when all you care about is the strip of asphault running through it. If we want to protect the habitat, let's just go rip up 129 and not build anything through the area.

 

I kinda figured that people would support anything that took traffic off the Dragon. Especially the Semi Tractor/Trailer Traffic.

Seriously though it sounds like land development may be more of a threat to the Dragon.

 

See, to me your argument embodies the NIMBY aspects of everything that I see in N. Florida. We would like to protect the coast, but we know that we need the roads to get to the area and to move bodies and goods. There is no reason why both can't be done. Compromises have to be made. As long as neither side is willing to make compromises the side that doesn't want the road is going to lose, every time. Look at the examples in Louisiana. The same thing is happening all along the N. Florida coast. A lot of rural long distance bicyclers are upset because the roads are seeing more traffic here. When the government asked to widen US 98 along the coast the NIMBY's went nuts. Now the other roads are overused AND US 98 is going to be widened anyway and in one instance re-routed, all to please a large land company.

Maybe I've mis-read your posting. If so, tell me.

 

I was told part if not all the problem is that I-40 was put in the wrong place when it was built. It has had several problems with washouts and follows a pretty rediculous, dangerous route for trucks .......It has more truck accidents that the whole rest of the state combined. This I was told by an "old sage" .....he is a state employee and not very complimentary of the politics in "Bunk" county......hence the origin of that's a lot of "Bunk" If you look at a topo map there is a much better direct route that apparently the "right" people did/do not own when the govt acquired the property. Maybe this is an effort to solve this problem..... I have not read the article yet and will tonight

 

Very true. The better route would have been alongside the French Broad River according to everyone when 40 was built. The route has close numerous times over the years with landslides. One year going east toward Asheville we heard the rumbling behind us and saw a slide. Didn't think too much of it at the time. Two days latter we had to return through the Hot Springs Mt road. There was a boulder across all four lanes, it was about the size of a four story building!!!!!

 

I can't get very specific without getting even more political than this thread already is, but endangered species and National Park land are anything but unassailable at this point in our history, and the trend is not in their favor.

JeffS - Our attention here on NAM has been drawn to this issue because of the Tail of the Dragon, but a huge part of why that road is so popular to begin with is that it is in such a remote and scenic area. I'm planning on coming down in May, but I honestly wouldn't be if the Dragon wasn't in such a magnificent natural area.

I am a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and as such I actively oppose (with my wallet) projects such as this, which carve out huge swaths of our rapidly shrinking natural areas.

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site...terstate_3.htm

We don't have many large natural areas left in this country, and my personal opinion is that we need to protect them at all costs. Scattered growth around the region is nothing compared to the ecological barrier this highway corridor would represent, and to the sterilized lakes and streams that would result from the excavation runoff.

 

Yeah, this thread should be re-titled....Save the trees....Because Deals Gap and the dragon will be quite safe with a simple interstate overpass.

 

Some good/interesting points by all.

JeffS, I gotta agree with Chris. The Dragon might be a cool roadway but if it wasn't for the scenery I wouldn't be going to this year's MOTD. My wife and I are staying at a B&B on a lake and will be doing more stuff off the road then on.

As for I-40 being a bad route that could be for any number of reasons. It could absolutely be due to politics when the road was designed or it could be that they had no way of forecasting the impending landslides and such. Politics still drive what road projects happen here but these days we are heavily focused on getting the opinions of the locals prior to the design. I have a meeting next thursday night about this specific issue. We're having a public meeting to tell the area what we plan to due to the road and we want them to chime in with their concerns and ideas. Biggest problem is people not taking the time to show up. They some how can't squeeze a nightly meeting in but a year from now they'll be calling us all day complaining about why we're doing what we're doing.

As I said earlier, speaking up is the best thing all the concerned people can do.

 

This article contains a mention of the history of I-40. I watched that road being built. My father, an engineer, used to tell me: Why in the WORLD they picked this route HAD to be politics.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/...ditorial3.html

This one gives you an idea of what goes on to get an Interstate built, lots of politics.

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2003/0716tennessee.php

 

Now if we could get N Carolina to clean up it's air....can you say coal?...but I digress