I read on tailofthedragon.com that they closed it at the gap on the NC side.

 

When I went last year, the Dragon was pretty cool. However, it was always full of traffic. After one or two trips down the Dragon, I was done with it.

Personally, I agree with Bryan. The roads in the area are still fantastic and WELL worth the trip down there. With the Dragon closed, I suspect tourism in general will go down thus the remaining roads will be more clear.

Keep a positive attitude about it. The way I see it, we win either way.

EDIT: This slide looks to be at the lake. (Note the huge gravel parking lot on the right. This would be headed towards the Dragon.) The wheel loader probably has it clear now but they need to put up the I-beams with wirenet fence to catch future slides.

In my opinion: They can pave part of that parking lot and route the traffic around it. TDOT must be run by monkeys if they think closing 129 for months on end is the right thing to do.

 

How will the closure affect getting to FVR? I'll be coming from I-40 heading south to FVR.

 

Well from the west, you will have to take 441 and come th elong way, it will add about an hour to the drive, from the east, no change. If you are coming from the south or north, I would recommend coming from the eastern side. try hitting 74 or 28 to come into FVR.

 

Before the slide: Shot from across the lake.



After the slide:









OK, I can see why this might be closed for a while. I imagine geologists have to determine how much more needs to be removed to make it stable. A big chunk breaking free could really cause some damage. Hopefully it just wipes out another Semi from Swift trucking as payback for all the cars and bikes they've damaged on the Dragon.

 

+1, so far I've been lucky and haven't met one at speed, talk about a hella community effort, you get more notice about a semi than a LEO.

 

Saw this in person on last Sunday as they were clearing some of it up. Then on monday 3/15 when i was leaving the area they closed that section. But damn do i love HELLBENDER 28, but not like my mistress the Dragon ; ). But imo its not fully worth the drive down if your not within 6 hours of it, since you won't be riding it. The Dragon freaks know what im talking about.

 

Well at least it's at the bottom. We normally come from the NC/TN side and turn around before the road gets stright at the bottom. (Usually at the lookout point.)

All they need to do to make "Dragon Freaks" like me happy is check the rest of the area, and offer an easy-to-see turnaround area.

I bet I don't go to the bottom 10% of the time anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I still intend to make the trip, (all the way from the bottom of Florida) even if the dragon is closed. There is one road the guys at the track keep telling me to run up there, and I have yet to try it.

 

Is it straight?

 

LOL it is the mountains, no straight roads up there Raj. It would be great for a time attack.

 

I have to disagree, I've got ~500+ laps over the dragon, after a while Its just another road. Nothing compares to Road Atlanta, VIR, Mid-Ohio, Barber, yada yada yada

 

Here is a picture of what I saw on the NC side...
Hey Lightning guy isn't 78 that straight road that you can top out if you know where to put the pedal to the metal? I happened to stumble upon it a few years back. Straightest road I have seen in the area. Not really arrow straight,but you know what i mean.

 

Watch out! ROAD CLOSED AHEA!!

 

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article...NEWS/303269989

 

lol, AHEA

 

Home
Bidding Process to Begin for Rockslide Repairs
Released on Thu, Mar 25, 2010 - 1:24 pm under Media AdvisoriesRoad ClosuresTransportation
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Work to clear a rockslide that closed U.S.-129/SR-115 is expected to begin early April. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will let an emergency contract to clear the slide on Monday, March 29. TDOT qualified two specialty contractors, Pacific Blasting Demolition Ltd. and Phillips & Jordan, Inc., to bid on the project. Both contractors offer specialized experience in rockslide clearance and stabilization that is needed to repair the substantial and complex slide on U.S.-129/SR-115.

The emergency contract is expected to be awarded to one of the two specialty contractors on Monday, March 29 with work expected to begin no later than April 5. This will allow contractors time to transport specialized equipment to the site of the slide in Blount County.

TDOT’s contract has a completion date of July 31, 2010.

Meanwhile, detours remain in place while the stretch of road known as the Dragon is closed from the slide area to the North Carolina state line. Motorists are advised to continue to monitor the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot for updates and detour details. TDOT is also on Twitter. For up to the minute traffic information in Knoxville and the Tri-Cities follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/knoxville511. For statewide travel information follow www.twitter.com/TN511.

 

I have to fully disagree, the ride, no matter how long it takes you to get there, would be WELL worth it! There are LOTS of other roads to drive out there other than the dragon. Besides that, ZDAYZ is so much MORE than just the driving.

I'm going to miss EVERYONE this year. *sniff sniff* BUT I will be back in 2011!!

 

It's one thing to have the dragon closed at ZdayZ....

But no Terri?!?!?!?!?....................

 

Awww thanks hon!!! I'm going to miss it this year...I'm already having withdrawals and dreams of cabins, purple drank and great friends. Dillon will only be 4.5 months old by then, and I can't be leaving him for that long quite yet. Next year it will be back on!!!

 

Bring him. We'll teach him how to party.