A new interstate or highway from Savannah to Knoxville is soon to be the subject of a study by the Federal Highway Administration . There are several potential routes for this new road and one of them is the Highway 129 area you are about to visit. Many of us in this area do not want this to happen for many different reasons, from financial to environmental to aesthetics.

There is a petition drive underway to let our senators and representatives know our wishes regarding this. As the study is federally funded (your money) and the area is one you are about to visit as a tourist, your opinion counts too.

Those of you who have been to the area where Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina come together know the natural mountain beauty that exists here. You also know the terrain is one that makes road construction particularly difficult and destructive to that beauty. Those who will make your first visit here will understand in a few weeks. Once you arrive here, take a look around you and imagine a new highway under construction through these mountains. If you feel that is something that should not occur sign the petition that will be available. I will have copies available to sign with me all weekend. Look for Casper (PW/B 2006 MCS with Casper on the A panel) and Celeste (purple classic Mini with the name on a Brit plate on the front). I will also try to have a clipboard available for signing at all dinners.

If you would like to read more about this project from the coalition against it you will find information here: http://www.stopi3.org/

Cheers,
Donna Kimble

 

Donna, please bring the petition to the Off Topic Band Dragon Jam on Saturday night. We'll be on The Porch at the Dam Room/Adventure Center from 8:30 - 10:30 PM. I will definitely sign it.

 

Done signed up

 

I'd like to sign.... but dont you need to live there to be eligible for the petition?

 

Well since it would be a Federal road project and the last time I checked Nebraska was still in the US - I would say that you can sign. Unless you have successfully declared Nebraska a Monarchy

 

The information for the petition was originally written for those in the vicinity of the project. The state of GA declined to do the study and now the federal government is charged with the responsibility. Funding for the study was added to a recent transportation bill. This is your money too.

Further, those living in the potentially affected areas benefit from the money you spend when you come here. You come here for what it is now. This is the reason I posted the information, so you could put a little thought into signing the petition.

 

We will look you up and sign too. Some of these types of transportation bills are good and other don't make sense, this sounds like one that would not benefit the area and spend funds for a pet project vice helping the US.

 

As a frequent visitor to the area I will be more than happy to sign the petition to help stop any destruction of this wonderful area.





But having said that, anyone who has been to the Hwy 129 area knows it would be impossible to build any road this size through the area of the Dragon. There is physically not enough usable surface between the National Park and the cliff to support a 4 lane interstate. As I looked at the map above, not one route north of Murphy is realistic and all routes north of Murphy go directly through Hwy 129, the Dragon.


The quote below was taken directly from the Tail of the Dragon web site and they don’t seem to be worried about such a proposal.

“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.”

 

You are exactly correct Pat, about the construction of this roadway. That is why it would be good to stop the funds from being spent on the study. It has not yet begun. It is obvious to anyone who frequents the area that there really isn't a need to study it.

 

i won't be able to be there to sign, but i'd like to. if anybody isn't sure, just look around and think about it. i'm from knoxville, so i've been taking cars and bikes to "the dragon" since many many years before the new mini hit its sweet curves. i agree that big highways would ruin the area. i hope that never happens.

 

The issue is that these things get such a head of steam on them it is hard to sink them. I agree that it would ruin some of what makes that region so unique. Could they not take a larger loop around the region so that some good can come of it. I mean LESS TRUCKS ON THE DRAGON is a good thing, but to loose some of the beautiful scenery in the region to it would be a shame, but to loose The Dragon itself would be horrible.

You have my signature, speaking of, click my banner in my sig here and I posted a bit on my Myspace about this.