Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

April 17, 2008 issue


Blue Ridge Parkway Detour: Boon or Bane?

Story by Jason R. Sakurai

A 6.3-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Highway 421 east of Boone and Highway 321 south of Boone has been detoured to allow repairs to be made to the Goshen Creek Bridge, according to the National Park Service. The detour begins for those traveling south at Bamboo Gap (Milepost 285.5), along State Road 1514 from Bamboo Road to Deerfield Road, with signs from Highway 321 south of Boone reconnecting to the Parkway at Milepost 291.8.

The total detour is about eight miles. The repairs will take about nine months to complete.

Because the detour will divert a portion of the 17.35 million visitors the National Park Service recorded as traveling on the Parkway last year, local attractions and businesses in the area will see an increase in traffic flow and a possible increase in business.

Tweetsie Marketing Director Cathy Robbins hopes the Parkway detour will boost business in general throughout Boone. Potos by Jason SakuraiCathy Robbins, marketing director of Tweetsie Railroad said, “Since we won’t open until May 2nd, we don’t know what effect if any the detour will have on our attendance. I’m hoping that this diversion will allow more Parkway visitors to experience our town, and to enjoy Boone as a whole.”

At the BP gas station on Highway 321, one of the managers said she had seen “no noticeable increase in business due to the Parkway detour; maybe there was a little over the weekend but we really haven’t felt a difference in our business.”

Wayne Underwood, Mystery Hill’s owner, has already started to see an increase in attendance as a result of the Parkway detour.In contrast, Mystery Hill’s owner Wayne Underwood said, “We had at least five families come through this past weekend who didn’t know about Mystery Hill, who drove by and stopped. They had to get off the Parkway and as a result discovered us. Others who might have heard about Mystery Hill now know where we are, so we think this is going to help boost our attendance and gift shop sales.”