(Public domain photo)

Roanoke, VA – National Park Service officials announced today that a small section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke, Virginia is open after temporary repairs were completed to mitigate a small slope failure.  The parkway has reopened from Milepost 115.5 (Explore Park entrance) to Milepost 121.4 (U.S. 220). Park visitors and drivers in this section should anticipate a shifted lane alignment, warning signs, new pavement markings and a regulatory speed reduction to 35 mph.

The Parkway motor road will remain closed to all uses south of Milepost 121.4 (U.S. 220) to Milepost 135.9 (Adney Gap) due to a full road failure roughly one hundred and fifty feet (150′) in length near milepost 128. This complex road failure will require a closure of at least 12 to 18 months. Visitors are reminded that, due to the hazardous nature of this slope failure, this section is closed to all uses including motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrian