Popular motorcycle attraction, Dragon's Tail possibly closed for months
Friday, 26 March 2010 | Written by Shaggy | Print | E-mail

If you notice some motorcycle enthusiasts with a lost and worried look on their face, it may just be performance anxiety.

The anxiety has nothing to do with any personal issues, but losing the opportunity to flex the motorcycle performance muscle as Mother Nature closes the king of all 'twisties', the legendary Dragon's Tail.

20Located primarily in Deals Gap, North Carolina the mountainside eleven mile stretch of road boasts a mind-blowing and constantly leaning 318 curves attracting bikers and drivers alike from all over the world. A rock slide has blocked the road with authorities expecting the route to remain closed until July 31st while crews cleanup.

The rock slide, occurred on March 14th just as traffic by motorcyclists and thrill-seekers was about to pick up. The clean up process is expected to start on April 1st.

The southbound lane was reopened briefly after the slide but was closed again because of safety concerns.

The Dragon's Tail runs through both North Carolina and Tennesee, the rock slide has closed the road from near Chilhowee Lake to the North Carolina line. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will be responsible for awarding the contract to clean up Mother Nature's mess, but its the amount of time the job could take that has local businesses relying on tourism worried.

"There's a possibility that we could lose the business," Jody Montgomery told Knox News discussing the Punkin Center Motorcycle Resort, located near the Dragon's Tail, "No one realized what impact it (the road closure) would have on this community until now."

Authorities say the time is needed for contracters experienced in rockslide clearance and stabilization to transport the specialized equipment needed for such a job.