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Scenic Byway Designation for Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive Approved Yancey County Commissioners were notified last week the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has approved scenic byway designation for Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive. The Yancey County Transportation Task Force recommended commissioners request this designation from the state for the a 52-mile stretch of roadway from Mount Mitchell State Park through Burnsville to the intersection with Interstate 26 in Madison County. Yancey Commissioners, working in partnership and cooperation with the Madison County Board of Commissioners and the Burnsville Town Council, learned that the scenic byway designation makes funds available through the NCDOT to enhance the section of road currently under construction between Burnsville and Interstate 26 in Madison County. Enhancement funds are for projects such as preserving historic structures, pedestrian safety and landscaping. "The state's construction along US 19/19E provides a one-time opportunity to get it right the first time and the availability of enhancement funds can be used to provide a number of valuable additions to the Highway 19 project which otherwise would not be included", stated Commission Chairman Walter Savage. "I would like to thank the members of the Yancey County Transportation Taskforce for the hard work put into the Scenic Byway Application, Wanda Profitt for her leadership of this project, the mayor and town council, and Madison County's Board of Commissioners and manager, Steve Garrison. Public involvement and close cooperation between local governments paved the way for this project to be such a success. The newly created Mt. Mitchell Scenic Drive will open up funding sources for enhancement projects along the highway corridor as construction continues, will help preserve the natural beauty of our community, and will enhance our travel and tourism economy for many years to come", stated Yancey County Planner Jamie McMahan. "One of my most rewarding experiences as county manager has been building strong relationships with our neighboring counties and towns. Madison County and the Town of Burnsville have been excellent to work with during this process and the input from the community through the citizen task force has been a tremendous asset in moving these valuable projects forward," stated Yancey County Manager Nathan Bennett. The route begins on N.C. 128 in Yancey County atop Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern United States with an altitude of 6,684 feet and one of 16 peaks over 6,000 feet tall which make up the Black Mountain Range. Mount Mitchell State Park was established to return the mountains to nature and intercede in the exploitation of the industrial scale lumbering that was destroying the East's tall summits. From the park, the scenic drive follows the Blue Ridge Parkway, which offers expanding vistas of the Black Mountains. The drive then descends into the South Toe River Valley, continuing into Burnsville and dropping some 4,500 feet in elevation. Homesteads, farms, pastures, churches and small communities dot the landscape in this rural area of Yancey and Madison counties. Visitors may also notice colorful squares hanging on the sides of barns and businesses along the route. Part of the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina project, these blocks represent different quilting patterns that reflect the heritage of the place where they are located. The Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive follows eight sections of road:
The byway ends at the intersection of U.S. 19/23 and Interstate 26 north of Mars Hill. As part of its new designation as a scenic byway, the Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive will be marked by official NCDOT Scenic Byway signs and included in NCDOT's Scenic Byways Guide, which provides information on all 54 scenic byways in North Carolina and is distributed throughout the United States and as far away as Australia. For more information on the N.C. Scenic Byways program, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel/scenic. |