Blue Ridge Parkway in NC about to get gravelled in places

[..]

My words - they did this in VA last year and the gravel was terrible in places. We gave up on our end to end ride because of the gravel.

Pavement Preservation Work in North Carolina

The National Park Service announced today that over 65 miles of the historic motor route, between Milepost 359 and 469, will be resurfaced as part of a pavement preservation program on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Work is expected to start in mid-May and continue through September of 2018. Work locations, within the 65-mile project area, will change weekly, and visitors in active work zones areas should expect single lane closures and delays. The National Park Service appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation during this project.

Work will take place on the following sections of Parkway, from north to south, and include some paved road-side pullouts and parking areas:
Milepost 359.1 to 365.6, north of Asheville in the Mt. Mitchell & Craggy Gardens area
Milepost 393.6 to 412.8, south of Asheville through the Mount Pisgah area
Milepost 424.0 to 469.0, south of Devil’s Courthouse to the southern terminus of the Parkway


As with any road project, motorists and park users must exercise caution. In the interest of visitor safety, park visitors are asked to:
Check the Parkway’s Real Time Road Map for regularly updated work zone information.
Expect delays while work takes place Monday through Friday. The lane closures will be managed with flagging operations and a pilot car to lead traffic through work zones.
Observe reduced speed limit in work zones, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; to allow for proper curing of pavement.
Anticipate loose gravel on the road surface during the cure time for the pavement. Bicyclists and motorcyclists are asked to exercise extreme caution as loose gravel on top of the paved surface, during the required curing time, could result in loss of control.
 When circumstances prevent bicyclists from keeping up with traffic, dismount and move off of the road to let the on-coming traffic pass when traveling through a single lane closure.

[baldo]

You called it some time ago. Thanks for the reminder.

[Motodad71]

Good thing my main ride is a Suzuki V-Strom, she just loves road conditions like that. 

[Jess from VA]

I forget the technical name.... chip and seal?

All I have ever seen on BRP is this terrible combination of gravel (large and small) and pouring a ton of hot gooey tar/asphalt all over it, and it is a stinking mess until 10,000 cages drive over it for a few days, and you do not want to be on it in a bike anytime soon after it is done.  I've been up there several times, and had to just turn around and go back the way I came.  The one time I did ride on it, the bike was sinking in, and it was hours and hours of hard cleanup (after it dried).  They don't use the big heavy rollers to pound it down (maybe they can't get them up there), they use private vehicles to do it for them.

You can go on-line to try to find updates on BRP chip and seal sections, and wherever you may get on BRP, ask the guy (gal) at the gate; they usually know if and where it is going on... they usually can give you the mile markers affected.  Go around, or another way.





Also, anyone who rides the hills and mountains will tell you to watch out for the tightest inside and outside corners of all roads all the time.  Erosion, water travel, gravity and cars/trucks put lots of loose gravel and sand in those corners all the time. 

[solo1]

Chip and Seal is the motorcyclist's enemy. Hard to ride and splatters stones and asphalt all over the bike.

Here in Indiana, that is the favorite way to resurface a road (cheap)and INDOT posts no warnings out for riders.

A few years ago I rounded a curve on an asphalt road that immediately turned to loose 1 inch stones. I was riding the Vstrom, good thing, but it wasn't easy.  No oil so didn't take much cleaning, except for my drawers.

[Alpha Dog]

Chip and Seal is the motorcyclist's enemy. Hard to ride and splatters stones and asphalt all over the bike.

Here in Indiana, that is the favorite way to resurface a road (cheap)and INDOT posts no warnings out for riders.

A few years ago I rounded a curve on an asphalt road that immediately turned to loose 1 inch stones. I was riding the Vstrom, good thing, but it wasn't easy.  No oil so didn't take much cleaning, except for my drawers.

Ain't that the truth.  Doing here in Ohio also. I imagine it is far cheaper to do this way.  If new  I turn around.  Now if it has been down for a time and they did a good job it can make a decent road.  I have seen it both ways.  The 36 between the Ohio line and Lynn Indiana is gosh awful.  The 3 from Spiceland, In to Greensburg, IN is quite good, especially since it carrys the Large semis taking parts to Honda Greensburg Plant, and they are re doing it right now.