There is already a route from Bryson City to Fontana Dam. {74 to 28} The new North Shore Road is pictured as being straight and the road from Bryson City to the start of the new road twists and winds. Either the DOT intends to blast the road straight or it will be longer than we are being told. If you compare the true mileage of the New North Shore Road between Bryson City and Fontana Dam and the existing 74 to 28 route between the two towns the number of miles will be close to the same number. 16 million dollars could be better utilized with what has happened along the Gulf Coast and other more important projects.

Road builders today have better equipment and can handle problems in a better way than in past times.

Building roads is something that has been done in the GSMNP for decades. Most are paved. Other gravel roads have also been constructed, some in the form of one-way roads that are well recognized for their beauty. The state of Tennessee even has its equivalents of the proposed North Shore continuation in the Little River and Foothills Parkway roads.

I like to hike on the trails, especially the trails up at Deep Creek. I like to take scenic rides to the park. And when we go to Gatlinburg next Monday, I bet every one of you who is going will take the road, 441, through the park. That road did not ruin the park, nor did the Blue Ridge Parkway .

In order to go further in construction, I guess it could happen that it could be done, but the road alignment, I believe, would have to be designed, speed limit be reduced for a mile or two down till you get to an open – a better total area along the lake. That would be easier building, but the first two miles, three miles from the tunnel, would be very difficult.

I have seen comments in the newspapers by families saying they were promised a road to access the area of the park that was their homestead, that the boats that take them there currently do not take them close enough to the cemeteries and they are unable to make the additional walk. The road would not solve this, they'd still have to walk from the car. Regardless, cemetery access in not a problem worth spending $590 million to solve.

Mr. X, two years ago, he built 1.3 miles of road just across the lake and U.S. Forest Service for a little over three quarters of a million dollars. This was a 20-14 foot dustless surface road, same as the 1943 agreement; only took him four months for 1.3 miles.