WALLAND (AP) — Great Smoky Mountains National Park is using $31 million in Great American Outdoor Act funding to rehabilitate a portion of the Foothills Parkway, according to a news release from the park.

The rehabilitation project is for Foothills Parkway West between Chilhowee Lake and Walland. It will require a series of lane and road closures beginning on March 14 and scheduled to end on May 5, 2023. The 17-mile scenic drive sees more than 700,000 visitors annually.

The project includes repaving the roadway, restoring guardrails, repairing bridges and drainage, and replacing asphalt walkways with ADA-compliant concrete sidewalks.

More information about alternative routes to explore during the construction period is available on the park's website under the "auto touring" section.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located on the Tennessee-North Carolina border and is the country's most visited national park. Foothills Parkway West provides access to 16 scenic overlooks.