The NPS responded to an incident on Oct. 13 on Roaring Fork Road Motor Nature Trail involving a semi-truck that became stuck overnight/NPS
Commercial truckers who head onto the Newfound Gap Road through Great Smoky Mountains National Park to bypass storm-damaged roads on routes around the park that straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border are being ticketed by the National Park Service and could face $5,000 fines.
“Yes, tickets (which include fines) have been issued; however, our main focus is to keep the commercial vehicles off” the road,” Park Service spokesman Dave Barak said Friday in an email.
Since October 2, the Park Service has been staffing checkpoints 24 hours a day on either end of the road with the assistance of the law enforcement staffs of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Government and Sevier County (the Cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville and the Sevier County Government). With their help, more than 800 commercial vehicles have been turned away from US 441/Newfound Gap Road.
Park staff have taken multiple actions to restrict access to the road, including staffing checkpoints, use of variable message signs, working with local communities to place signs outside the park, as well as strategically placed traffic cones and barrels to discourage commercial vehicles.
The Park Service has responded to multiple incidents involving large commercial trucks.
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October 3. In one incident, a commercial car hauler crashed into a wall and down an embankment and in the other, a semi-truck’s brakes caught on fire. While responding to these incidents, eight semi-trucks drove past emergency responders.
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October 5: A park ranger came upon a commercial truck hauling a commercial car hauler trailer near milepost 13 that struck a vehicle traveling in the opposing lane of travel. Due to the length of the commercial trailer, it crossed over the center dividing line and struck the pedestrian vehicle. The driver of the commercial vehicle was cited for operating a commercial vehicle on a restricted roadway.
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October 13: On Roaring Fork Road Motor Nature Trail a semi-truck became stuck overnight. The vehicle had to be towed out backwards on October 14, and the driver was cited for operating a commercial vehicle on a restricted roadway.
Commercial vehicles are always prohibited on US 441/Newfound Gap Road and in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with the exception of the Spur). Drivers are encouraged to consult NCDOT and TNDOT routes before starting their trips.
