Controversial Road to Nowhere at dead end

The controversial "Road to Nowhere" is officially not going to be built. An environmental impact study recommendation in October led the way for Congress to appropriate money for a $6 million "down payment" on a $52 million cash settlement with the citizens of Swain Co., who were promised a new road when construction of Fontana Dam flooded an existing road in 1943.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), who have long opposed the road, issued a joint press release:

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and U.S. Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC) today announced that they have secured $6 million in the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus appropriations bill to begin a settlement between Swain County and the federal government for the North Shore Road - also known as the "Road to Nowhere" - through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The $6 million will be appropriated to the National Park Service to hold for use in the eventual settlement with Swain County.

The National Park Service recommended a monetary settlement to Swain County as the preferred alternative to the construction of the North Shore Road in their Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS) in October.

"For sixty-four years the issue of the North Shore Road has divided communities and families. This reserved funding, along with the Park Service's final EIS, shows that we have finally reached the end of this long journey," said Rep. Shuler. "A full settlement is a commonsense solution that will protect the integrity of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, while also providing Swain County the resources it needs to invest in job creation and school improvement."

"It's about time that we put a stop to the Road to Nowhere," said Alexander. "For decades we've been working for the right solution for the taxpayers of America, the people of Swain County, and those who love the Great Smoky Mountains. I'm glad this day has finally come."

This is a great win for conservationists and the GSMNP. The Sierra Club says it would be an environmental disaster:

Building a 34-mile road through the heart of the Smokies would forever alter the Appalachian backcountry and greatly impair water quality, air quality and wildlife in the area. Moreover, the road would cost taxpayers upwards of $600 million to build!

Residents in the area, like former residents of all the farms and homes and towns flooded by TVA reservoirs, had their lives disrupted and have been waiting a long time for a resolution.

For decades, the National Park Service has provided a ferry service to take residents across Fontana Lake to old family cemeteries and home sites. Supporters of the road argue that it would bring tourism and jobs to Swain County. The $52 million settlement, officially supported by the Swain Co. government, will give them at least some compensation.