Shenandoah National Park begins reconstruction of Skyline Drive south of Thornton Gap, a year-long project
Shenandoah National Park announced that it has begun a year-long road construction project on Skyline Drive. The work will occur in the Central District, between Milepost 31.5 (Thornton Gap Entrance Station) located at US Highway 211 and Milepost 65.5 (Swift Run Entrance Station) located at US Highway 33.
The project will reconstruct portions of Skyline Drive, the famed ribbon of road which winds along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skyline Drive was originally constructed in the 1930s and was last reconstructed between 1983 and 1988. The current road surface has met its life expectancy and is due for rehabilitation.
Once work begins, sections of Skyline Drive will be reduced to one lane of traffic during working hours, defined as sun up to sun down Monday through Friday. Visitors can expect delays of up to 15 minutes and sections of unpaved, gravel road. During non-working hours, weekends, and national holidays two lanes of traffic will be available; however, sections of Skyline Drive will still have a gravel surface.
This project is being funded by the Federal Lands Highway Program and is being administered by the Federal Highway Administration for the National Park Service. For more information regarding the park and the road status please call 540-999-3500 or go to http://www.nps.gov/shen.
-- Admin
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