Scenic Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed after suffering catastrophic impacts from Helene

By Raja Razek and Joe Sutton, CNN

(CNN) — The famed Blue Ridge Parkway – spanning more than 400 miles – remains closed with no reopening date, according to the National Park Service.

“The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia is closed as crews continue their assessment of the damage from Hurricane Helene,” NPS spokesman Mike Litterst told CNN.

Blue Ridge Parkway staff and NPS employees from 32 states and the District of Columbia are working in the recovery efforts, Litterst said.

“Based on what the teams have seen so far, significant, and in some cases catastrophic, damage has occurred along the parkway, particularly from milepost 280 to milepost 469,” Litterst added.

Assessment teams will determine the extent of damage, which will include a timeline and cost estimates for repairs.

“A projected reopening date of any section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina has not yet been established; assessment crews are finishing their work in Virginia,” Litterst said.

Pictures shared by the spokesman revealed downed trees and a road washout near Gooch Gap.

The parkway was listed as the number one most visited NPS site in 2023, with 16.75 million visits, CNN previously reported.

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