The Department of Transportation reopened a 14-mile stretch of U.S. 19/74 in Swain County through the Nantahala Gorge on Monday afternoon.

Debris from nearby wildfires closed the highway from its intersection with N.C. 28 through the gorge to the intersection of N.C. 129 for a period of 48 hours starting on Saturday. Motorists were required to take a 30-mile detour around the closure in order to drive from the direction of Murphy or Andrews to Bryson City, Sylva or beyond.

Hazardous driving conditions remain in many Western North Carolina counties due to decreased visibility due to smoke. For real-time travel information, visit the Traveler Services section of NCDOT.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

– article submitted by NCDOT