Dragon closed due to rock slide

"UPDATE" Dragon OPENED

Wednesday April 7

Monday April 12

Good Morning Folks

Yes "The Dragon" reopened this morning at 8am Sharp. Thanks TDOT for being right there with the key.

Hours of operation for "The Dragon" will be 8am until 8pm 7 days a week until TDOT determines if and when they can open just one lane for traffic to pass into the rest of TN. I will keep up with the TDOT folks and keep you up to date on how that is going.

For pictures of the Gap as it opened today check out our facebook page. I will also post a video latter today.

THP is in "The Dragon" as well, one or two patrols will be in and out all day, they are not here to crush anyone just want to ensure everyone goes home safe, happy and on there bike not in the back of the ambulance, helicopter or worse. All the rumors about a THP every 10 feet or they will write you 10 tickets for anything they can find is 100% horse crap. Those folks have nothing better to do but make up this stuff so you will go to there web site. Pathetic if you ask me. A lot of agencies in TN and NC worked very hard to get this done so thanks to all of them.

On to better things..... Weather is perfect for the next week. Highs around 75-80 and lots of sun. Skyway was cold this morning but will warm up fast.

Congratulations to all you Rossi fans as he racks up yet another win and what may end up as another championship year.

Well folks I am off to go make a pass on "The Dragon" hope everyone has a great day.

Brad (DEALSGAP)



UPDATE
Tuesday April 6

Email I just got folks, we are close to getting this done, looks like not till monday but will see if we can work hard to get it done faster.

Tennessee Senator Overbey & North Carolina Senator Snow,

The department is eager to open this facility and we believe that we will have everything on the Tennessee side ready to allow opening the road from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM 7 days a week beginning next Monday, April 12, 2010.

As a follow up to our recent discussions regarding the partial opening of US 129 to traffic, the department seeks your assistance in clarifying some issues that emergency service providers in Tennessee have brought to our attention.

First, the department has been successful in working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol to provide law enforcement on the closed section of US 129 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, 7 days per week until the slide can be cleared and the roadway opened. The department has been able to secure approval from the FHWA to pay for the THP overtime required through federal emergency relief funds. The plan will be to provide at a minimum 2 patrol units between the slide and the state line between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. This source of funding are not available for emergency medical services.

We will also be putting signage on US 129 at the State line entering Tennessee, advising motorist that there will be limited emergency medical services on the dead end section of road.

The final issue that we are trying to address is that of emergency services for personal injury crashes that law enforcement and EMS entities in Blount County have brought to our attention. Your assistance in getting a commitment from Graham County, North Carolina to provide EMS coverage is much appreciated.

Prior to the slide, 911 calls in his area would come to the Blount County EMS. The crashes would first be responded to by THP or the Blount County Sheriff. They in turn would contact the local fire department who would decide, based on conversations with law enforcement, what kind of EMS to send to the site (ambulance only, or ambulance and extraction units). Injured motorist would then be driven or life flighted to trauma facilities in Blount or Knox Counties. Response times to crashes in this vicinity were on the order of 1 hour.

The department does not expect response times to be identical to pre-slide time frames, however, we feel that we need to have a reasonable expectation of what to expect under this proposal from North Carolina to provide emergency medical services. Emergency service providers in Blount County are particularly concerned in this regard. It is our understanding that Graham County, North Carolina EMS has a response time somewhat longer than the 1 hour from the Tennessee side and that no trauma facilities exist near the North Carolina side of the slide and the nearest trauma center is located in Ashville, a considerable distance away. We also understand that Graham County EMS has very limited equipment and may not be able to assist in a timely fashion when the need arises.

We are seeking a plan from North Carolina that lays a strategy for addressing emergency medical services. We feel that they need to provide the State of Tennessee with a plan that provides a schedule and a identifies equipment and resources available to provide emergency medical services (ambulance and extraction) to this section of road.

With this information, the department can ensure a safe transportation facility to the users of US 129.

The department will continue to work diligently to reopen the road due to the slide as soon as possible.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation seeks a response to this request as soon as possible.

Please feel free to contact me at Paul.Degges@tn.gov or by phone at (615) 741-0791.

Paul D. Degges, P.E.
Assistant Commissioner/Chief Engineer
Tennessee Department of Transportation

 

Thanks for the headsup. I wonder if for the g2g we'll have to arrange a helicopter lol

 

Went there yesterday IT IS CLOSED. The locals are rising hell.

 

I found Deals' Gap Resort facebook page and they said that NC is offering help but TN isn't. That sucks.

Facebook page here: Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort | Facebook

 

Need help here. Please start calling the tennessee rep.

 

Didn't TN want to close that road a few years back because of all the "trouble" it cause? Doesn't TN have a police unit just for that road? I guess this is TN blessing. If so I doubt they will be in any hurry to re-open it. Unless they get big pressure from businesses and locals. So what's this do to the big meet some of you are going to in May/June?

 

Yeah but this is the motorcycle Mecca of the SOUTH and allot of businesses have finally establish themselves. IT MEANS TAX REVENUE.

 

Looks better and better.

 

Looks like tomorrow it will opened.

 

OH WELL I GUESS MONDAY THE 12 th

 

Can't imagine why they'd need to close it, with all the safe drivers out there...

CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News

 

he said " I didn't see it"....how the hell do you not see a bunch of huge rocks sitting in the middle of the road ............ he must have been DWHUA......(Driving with head up ass)

 

hows the reopening looking switchblade

 

i thought i was gonna get to mo's (ksl) this week. too much life stuff so just rode the cherohala and back today on my wife's triumph sprint st (955cc). killboy et al were on the cherohala..gotta get dem pics where ever ya can! was gonna stop and get the skinny on the gap but my pace was too good to stop for FAQ. i couldn't care less if the gap is closed. the only reason i want the gap open is so that the cops won't focus on the cherohala (like joey said). :rockon: the cherohala rocks!:guitar:
i passed 4 pirates on harleys (2 couples, men and women riding next to each other, braking in corners...stupid!! :crazy::crazy , two cars and a ups-type truck on my way from tellico to robbinsville and 3 cars and a KLR on my way back to tellico. we are gonna have a great time regardless of the gap being open or closed :amen:

 

Looks official, I’m already filling better.

 

Sweet, the g2g is looking better now!

BTW, sparky thanks for the cherohala report, the cop situation isn't as bad as I thought it was!

 

Yeah BABY it time to ride.