The Road to Nowhere: A Broken Promise in the North Carolina Mountains
- agchast2
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
There’s a road deep in the North Carolina hills that winds through the Great Smoky Mountains and stops abruptly at just seven miles. Lakeview Drive, just north of Bryson City, is a popular spot for hikers and provides access to some of the most isolated sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). It also offers lovely views of Fontana Lake. So how, then, has this short expanse of asphalt earned the local nickname ‘The Road to Nowhere, a Broken Promise’?
I’ve long been fascinated by the infamous Lakeview Drive. Its history kicked off my interest in submerged Appalachian towns and the stories that are buried beneath the tranquil waters of our mountain lakes. Let’s learn a little bit more about this road, its controversies, and the ultimate fate of Lakeview Drive.
History of Proctor: The Submerged Town Beneath Fontana Lake
Near what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Proctor was a small town that sat on Hazel Creek. It was named after Moses Proctor, the first European settler in the area. Proctor was submerged by Fontana Lake in the 1940s after Fontana Dam was completed in 1944 to provide hydroelectric power to nearby Oak Ridge—a top-secret weapons laboratory that was instrumental to the American war effort during World War II.
Many families were displaced during construction of the lake, as their family homes were to be flooded. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking results of the flooding was the separation between displaced families and their ancestral cemeteries. These cemeteries were on the north shore of Fontana Lake, and NC 288, the only road that provided access to this area, was now also just a watery memory.
For a more detailed history about Proctor, check out this previous blog.
But a 1943 Memorandum of Agreement between the Tennessee Valley Authority, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the state of North Carolina, and Swain County, North Carolina, promised that the Department of the Interior would construct a road through GSMNP, along the north shore of Fontana Lake, to replace the flooded NC 288. The road would be approximately 30 miles, and families would once again have access to their cemeteries.
Only 7 miles of the proposed 30 were completed. But, why?
If you’re interested in learning about more underwater Appalachian towns, take a look at this blog!
Environmental Concerns That Stopped the Road
The US government was strapped for cash back in World War II, so construction of Lakeview Drive was delayed after the 1943 agreement until 1948. Even then, the job was slow going. Over the course of 24 years—between 1948 and 1972—only 7 miles of the road were completed. It was then that the project was finally halted due to environmental concerns.
The terrain for the proposed construction was much more unstable than previously thought, with a danger of landslides during and after the road’s completion. Creating that stability would have made a more invasive project than was originally planned. Additionally, those building the road also found rocks of the Anakeesta formation, which leaches sulfuric acid when disturbed. This acid could have gotten into the water and threatened the park’s fish population.
But, you might ask, we can’t just make decisions based on the “what ifs” of life, right? Especially when such results aren’t proven? Well, there was actually precedent for the fish concerns.
There was an incident in GSMNP back in 1963 when the entire fish population of the upper section of Beech Flats Branch was eviscerated. Poof, gone. The reason? Newfound Gap Road was being rerouted at the time, and road construction caused sulfuric acid runoff into the water. The pH levels of the water dropped, and the fish were no more.
Alternatives to The Road to Nowhere
The February 2006 issue (Vol. 70, no. 2) of Wildlife in NC Magazine has a fascinating article that dives in to the discussions surrounding Lakeview Drive. I’ve linked it below if you’d like to read it in detail (I recommend the read, it’s a great article!), but the article goes over the perspectives of those who would be most impacted by a new road along the north shore of Fontana Lake. The north shore is one of the most remote parts of the Great Smoky Mountains because it’s just so difficult to get there (there’s no road, after all). So, over the decades, this is where many outdoors folk have come to find solitude.
However, the fate of the north shore came into question after the National Park Service completed a two-year environmental impact survey in 2006—when the Wildlife in North Carolina article was written. The survey was done was to satisfy the 1943 agreement with Swain County, which was created as kind of a “sorry” due to the land flooded by Fontana Lake. There were several different options on the table to satisfy the agreement, including:
Paying a cash settlement of $53 million to Swain County (the county’s preferred option), or
Taking no action, or
A partial build to Bushnell, or
Building the Laurel Branch Picnic area, or
Completing Lakeview Drive.
But, the original plan was to build a road. Obviously, that plan didn’t work out.
As of the early 2000s, many residents still wanted the road finished purely out of principle. Many can still trace their roots back to the north shore, and as any Appalachian knows, the ties to our family land and older generations are quite strong. Some believed that the road could help preserve mountain culture. As an Appalachian who adores mountain culture and its people, I sympathize with these folks. Though the environmental concerns at this point take priority, I can still see why residents would still feel this way.
If you’re curious about the National Park Service’s ultimate decision regarding that environmental impact survey—they decided that the Monetary Settlement Alternative was the best way to go. The Record of Decision stated, “The Monetary Settlement Alternative would ensure that resources of GSMNP and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) would be unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. It would fulfill project goals and objectives including the protection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. The Monetary Settlement Alternative has been recommended by Swain County and supported by the state of North Carolina to satisfy the 1943 Agreement.”
A Symbol of Displacement, Broken Promises, and Environmental Protection
The history of Fontana Lake and Lakeview Drive are sticky for sure, y’all, and there’s no resolution that makes everyone happy. NPS employees who inherited the decisions of their predecessors were left with an almost impossible task, though it seems that they made the most of the situation they were given.
If you’re a local who can still trace roots back to the north shore, the now permanently unfinished road is nothing more than a broken promise. The government forced your family’s displacement, and now there’s not even an easy way to visit the final resting places of those that have gone before you.
But, the environmental impacts of a finished road can’t be overlooked. Ultimately, a decision was made, and Lakeview Drive, the North Shore Road, will forever remain a seven-mile stretch into the remote, Smoky Mountain wilderness. For better, or worse, or for both, this is how the story has unfolded.
How to Visit The Road to Nowhere
If you’re ever visiting the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Lakeview Drive is relatively easy to get to. Simply plug it into your preferred navigation and you’ll get there pretty easily. You can explore the area on foot via the Goldmine Loop Trail, or explore Fontana Lake via one of many public boat/kayak launches in the area.
Resources
Wildlife in North Carolina Article
NPS Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision