Park superintendent Dale Ditamanson has annouced that America’s most visited national park is slated to receive $64,006,150 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The bulk of the money is targeted towards road work, but the park’s trails, cemetries, public restrooms, and other buildings will also benefit.

“This is about eight times what the Smokies receives in an average year for projects.” Ditmanson said.

The park expects to receive more than $1.2 million to hire trail workers to make improvements to 32 miles of eroded trails, as well as to restore 61 historic cemeteries in North Carolina.

Contracts will also be issued to perform over $4 million worth of improvements to restrooms in campgrounds and picnic areas to make them handicapped accessible.

Approximately $25 million will be available to repave and regabilitate four areas: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Cherokee Orchard Road near Gatlinburg, the Clingmans Dome Road in Swain County, NC, Cosby Campground in Cocke County, TN, and the popular parking area known as “The Sinks”

The largest single project to be funded will be design and construction of a section of the Foothills Parkway extending westward from the parkway’s intersection with U.S 321 in Wears Balley. That work is expected to cost almost $34 million and includes construction of an 800 foot-long bridge.

All ARRA funds have to be either spent or obligated by September 30, 2010.

Informtion on contracts is available at www.fbo.gov.

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