Local residents call it the “Road to Nowhere,” a 7-mile stretch of paved road that connects Bryson City to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For area trout fishers, the road, formally named Fontana Road and Lake View Road, provides access to two prime park trout streams — Noland Creek and Forney Creek. However, for many Swain County residents, the road represents a broken promise by the government.
Controversy about the road has been simmering since 1943 when Swain County entered into an agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Department of Interior and the state of North Carolina to have a road connecting Bryson City to the Forney Creek area of the Great Smokies Park.
The road was to replace N.C. 228, which was flooded when Fontana Dam was built. The purpose of the road was to give Swain County residents access to cemeteries and old home places inside the park.
Construction of the road was not begun until the early 1970s. By 1972, work was halted because of excessive costs and environmental concerns.
In 1996 the National Park Service conducted engineering studies in preparation to resume construction of the road. After reviewing the findings, NPS officials recommended the road not be built.
Construction of the 20-mile plus road, they said, would “cause long-term, possibly irreparable, damage to water quality and fish habitat in park streams and Fontana Reservoir due to siltation and acid leaching.”
Cost of the road at that time was estimated at $136 million. The estimated cost has mushroomed to approximately $600 million and construction would take at least 15 years.
Residents aren’t cut off entirely from their ancestral homes. Access to cemeteries is provided by the NPS free of charge. The policy, established Sept. 29, 1961, ensures access to cemeteries by relatives and friends.
Boat transportation across Fontana is provided and ground transportation is available from the shore. NPS officials said about a dozen trips to the cemeteries take place each summer. Additionally, the policy permits burials of relatives, if space is available, and allows friends and relatives to maintain cemeteries. NPS funds are allotted for maintenance of the cemeteries.
In 1985 the North Shore Road Association was formed to help residents fight for completion of the road. The group also had the backing of former Sen. Jesse Helms and 11th District Rep. Charles Taylor. Taylor secured $16 million in funding for the road in 2000.
In February 2003 the Swain County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a cash settlement ($52 million) and called on the “North Carolina Congressional Delegation to sponsor legislation to assist us in obtaining prompt and fair cash settlement… .”
During March, Gov. Mike Easley said he supports a cash settlement for Swain County instead of a road.
“Virtually any construction activity on the north shore of Fontana Lake threatens the delicate balance of streams, woodlands and wetlands that we in North Carolina are working diligently to protect and preserve,” Easley said.
Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander said he also opposes building a road.
Local and state chapters of Trout Unlimited also oppose building the road because of the detrimental impact it would have on Noland Creek, Forney Creek, and other trout streams in the park. Engineers identified at least 140 stream crossings for the projected road.
During late April the NPS issued a draft environmental impact statement identifying five possible alternatives for resolving the issue. Public comment about the statement was opened for public scrutiny and comment.
Bob Miller, public information director for the park, said the vast bulk of the more than 70,000 comments opposed constructing a road.
He said the response was by far the most comments the park has received about a public issue.
Among the alternatives listed by the NPS are: (a) taking no action, (b) paying a lump-sum monetary settlement, (c) building a 27.4-mile road from the end of Lake View Road to Fontana Dam, and (d) constructing a 19-mile road from the end of Lake View Road.
The last proposal would entail building a major bridge linking the road to the Cable Cove area at the southern shore of Fontana Reservoir.
The monetary settlement was identified as the environmentally-preferred alternative.
Park officials are reviewing public comments and will present their recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior. Final results of the environmental impact statement will be issued in the fall.
If built, the road would be a short-term gain for a few, but a long-term loss for many.
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