NORTH CAROLINA, USA — In a news release put out Tuesday night, the National Parks Service announced that the Blue Ridge Parkway is still closed as emergency stabilization efforts and damage assessments are made in some places that suffered heavy impacts from Hurricane Helene.
According to the release, crews have encountered tens of thousands of trees across the roadway and nearly three dozen rock and mudslides. Damage in Virginia is less severe, but work is still being done to clear trees and brush from roads in the state.
The National Park Service reminds everyone that the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed to all people and all vehicles. The parkway is currently an active work area and is traveled by vehicles and heavy equipment needed to help with cleanup after Helene.
“The damage left behind by the storm has created dangerous conditions, some of which are not immediately visible from the road itself,” said Tracy Swartout, superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway. “We thank the public for their cooperation in respecting closures for their safety and to allow crews to complete their work.”
The National Park Service said it is targeting a phased reopening of most of the parkway in Virginia "within the next week."
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