TOWNSEND (AP) — One of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's most popular sites has been closed to all vehicles until repairs to a main access road tunnel are finished.
The Cades Cove closure started Sunday night and is expected to last until March, news outlets report. Major repairs are needed for the internal drainage system in the 121-foot long Bote Mountain Tunnel on Laurel Creek Road, the National Park Service reports.
The tunnel hasn't undergone significant work since it was built in 1948, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The cove's campground also will be closed until March. The nearby Elkmont Campground and the Smokemont Campground in North Carolina will remain open year-round to accommodate displaced cove campers, WATE-TV reports.