Foothills Parkway

The Foothills Parkway project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Blount County, Tennessee, was a major initiative to improve the accessibility and beauty of this iconic American natural area. Half a mile of new road and five new bridges were constructed, three of which run east from the Walland end and the other two run west from the Wears Valley end.

The project was not limited to road construction alone, but also included important environmental and site safety works: from clearing, erosion and sediment control to stabilisation, ground revegetation, hot asphalt paving, drainage improvements, stone masonry and other miscellaneous works.

The roadworks included a full-depth pavement design capable of carrying traffic and the installation of permanent traffic control systems and guardrails.

A key aspect of the project was to design all new retaining walls, bridges, abutments and shoulders to respect and complement the aesthetics of similar structures already in place along the Parkway, thus preserving the beauty and unity of the landscape.