RVIA’s government affairs team worked with the Interior Department on projects to positively impact RVers, RVIA stated, including a newly announced project in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
The project, funded by the Great American Outdoor Act, will provide $31 million for repairs to roads, bridges and overlooks and safe access to campgrounds, including Look Rock Campground. The team worked closely with then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and then-Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to secure the multi-million-dollar investment into Look Rock Campground in 2018.
Park Acting Superintendent Alan Sumeriski said the repairs are welcomed.
“With increasing visitation and the completion of the adjacent section of the Foothills Parkway, this area is experiencing more use and more wear and tear,” Sumeriski said. “These funds will enable us to make critical improvements to keep the road safely open for access to one of the most scenic driving experiences in the Smokies.”
The Great American Outdoor Act funding supports critical maintenance needs in the Smokies and other national parks across the country. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park project will reduce more than $25 million in deferred maintenance associated with the Parkway, support 400 jobs and contribute $85.5 million to the nation’s economy.
