Last Updated on September 9, 2025 10:50 am
LAUREL SPRINGS, NC – On September 9, the National Park Service reopened seven miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 241.1, just south of Doughton Park and The Bluffs restaurant, to milepost 248.1, at NC 18 near Laurel Springs. Opening this road section signifies the completion of another section in a 75-mile road reconstruction project underway in northwest North Carolina.
Work related to this major infrastructure project continues from milepost 261.2 to 280.9, with a signed detour in place in the area, routing traffic onto US 221, US 421, and Old 421 S before accessing the Parkway again near Parkway Elementary School. Work in this section is planned to be completed later this fall. The multi-year project is expected to be complete during the 2026 visitor season, including additional full rehabilitation repairs needed from milepost 291.8 to milepost 305.1, near Grandfather Mountain.
Funding for this project comes from theGreat American Outdoors Act’s(GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. GAOA is part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, the fund provided up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is slated to receive more than $200 million from GAOA’s Legacy Restoration Fund for multiple projects to address long-needed infrastructure improvements that will improve the visitor experience for a park that welcomed 16.7 million visitors in 2024.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the largest designed landscapes in the country, providing visitors with a wide variety of opportunities to experience southern Appalachian nature, history and culture. The park’s drive-a-while, stop-a-while design enhances the experience; and whether at milepost 0 or 469, driving the scenic route, hiking a trail or taking in a concert or ranger program, Parkway officials remind visitors to have a plan and recreate responsibly.
Visitors should plan carefully for any trip along the Parkway and consult the park’s website for a wide variety of planning tools. The park’s website provides extensive information, including current road status, multiple regional maps, and other helpful information.
