The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-07-20
Is Miles OF The
Famous Highway
Run Thru County
Road Follows Crest OF Blue
Ridge Mountains. Many.
Inspiring Scenes.
A wonder ROAD"

lina's completed section of the
famous Blue Ridge Parkway in
Ashe and Allegheny counties.
An organized tour of the Park
way from Glendale Springs to
Deep Gap is being planned Mon
day afternoon. Tom Duncan,
Lem Hafer and Wick Vannoy are
IN charge of arrangements and
Patrolman Thomas will lead the
motorcade.
Construction of a 60-mile
stretch of this miracle highway
of the mountain tops" from the
Virginia line, near Roaring Gap,
through Allegheny and Ashe
counties to Deep Gap and inter
secting with U. S. highway 42l
near Boone, is completed and all
of it, with the exception of a
short distance between Glendale
Springs and Laurel Springs on
which top dressing is being ap
piled, is now open to traffic.
A trip over this "scenic Won
der" drive affords views of some
Of the finest, most beautiful and
inspiring scenery in America
This miracle road" is a master
piece of highway engineering
Through both of these counties it
follows the crest of the Blue
Ridge Mountains and literally
scars from peak to peak.
The elevation ranges from g.
600 to 4,5OO feet above sea levei
and on either side of this high
way the scenery is truly gor-
geous and breath-taking Look
ing eastward one can see across
the broad eXpanSe of the pied
mont area of North Carolina and
westward, across a mountain
plateau where rise a series Of
majestic and lofty mountain
peaks in this state and in Vir-
ginia.
For centuries engineers con-
tended that it was impossible to
build a highway on the tip top
of the Blue Ridge, but today this
marvel has been accomplished
To do it, however. cost Uncle
Sam a great deal of money; in
fact it has been estimated that
the cost runs around $4,000 per
mile for each of the go miles in
Allegheny and Ashe.
Huge sections of stone had to
be blasted and the highway
roadbed actually carved out of
the side of the mountains. Tips
of mountains had to be cut down
for the roadway and bridges had
to be SPAWNED across deep gorg-
eS.
In spite of this extreme geo.
graphical ruggedness, this see
mic ROLLER coaster" has road
way that is 20 feet wide on 80
foot grades and rights-of-Way
vary in width from SO to 100 feet.
At intervals along the route and
frequently only short distance
apart, sweeping lookout points,
presenting magnificent panora-
mic scenes, have been construct
ed.
Strange as it may seem, the
usual highway hazards have
been eliminated. The curves are
wide, grades easy and all inter-
secting roads are crossed on ov-
erhead bridges.
Skilled masons have erected
rock walls along the highway to
protect trees and other natural
scenery and the roads side dit
ches are lined with native stone.
On the banks and edges of the
highway, rye grass has been
planted and now covers the
grounds with velvet carpet of
green.
The national park service,
which will administer the scenic
drive, has purchased land along
the route to develop for camp
sites. hotels and recreational
parks. Landscape engineers are
now at work improving and
identifying these areas.
Near the home of Congress
man R. L. Doughton, who is one
of the fathers" of the parkway
and in whose honor it will be
named some day, the federal
government has brought around
1000 acres of land that is now
known as Bluff Park. Over 200
CCC boys are busy clearing
trails, cleaning out underground
and building large dam. On the
crest of the park just beyond
Laurel Springs and near the IA
nous Ice Rock, tentative plans
have been made to build a mo-
dern hotel and golf course.
All over the nation people are
talking about the Blue Ridge
Parkway which when completed,