Bryson City, North Carolina: Road to Nowhere

Promised in 1943 and still not finished. Monetary settlement reached with the government in 2010, but no one plans to remove the vestiges of a dream highway.

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Road to Nowhere

The Road to Nowhere was promised to the citizens of Swain county during World War II when the government needed a dam to power the Alcoa Aluminum factories to build airplanes for the war. The waters of the new lake covered major sections of NC HWY 288. The government made everyone leave that lived on high ground, whether they wanted to or not, taking over 44,000 acres of people's land. There are family cemeteries all over that area, as well as a town site called "Proctor" on Hazel Creek.

Swain county has been fighting for over 60 year to get the road completed. It would go from the tunnel to Fontana Dam and tie into NC HWY 28. My family was one of those displaced by the project and the family's home site is on Nolands Creek 3 miles from the lake. I would love to have this road finished.

Honor the 1943 Agreement and build the road.

[Micheal Stephenson, 04/16/2008]

Road to Nowhere

There is a highway leading out of Bryson City for a few miles, then through a tunnel through a mountain, which suddenly stops. It is known as the "road to nowhere" and is the result of a broken promise by the Federal Government (I think) to build the remainder of the road, to replace one sunk when the TVA built Fontana Lake during the early 1940s.

[Kevin D. Burnett, 05/04/2002]

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Road to Nowhere

Address:: 8899 New Fontana Rd, Bryson City, NC
Directions:: Take US Hwy 74 to exit 67 (Bryson City Exit, turn right onto Veteran's Blvd. At the 1st light turn right onto Main St. To Next light turn Left onto Everett St. Go straight for about 6-7 miles. you will pass the Swain county High school and keep going until you go into the Great Smokey Mtns Nat'l Park and until you cross the bridge "Nolands Creek" up to the parking area next to the barricade. Walk 1/4 mile through the tunnel and to the end of the road.