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Popular Smoky Mountain Swimming Hole
scheduled for Million Dollar Facelift
RG Williams
The Valley Voice
For years, throngs of visitors to the “sinks” went away
wondering if the strange name referred to the popular
swimming hole-or the condition of the parking lot
above it.
Located on the Little River, inside the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, the “sinks” is a major
attraction for park visitors on their way to Cades
Cove, as well as locals looking for a quick dip.
Through years of use the asphalt has begun to
crumble in the overcrowded parking area, and
parking and congestion are both major problems.
When Park officials released word, earlier in the year,
that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
funding had been allocated, it came as no surprise to
see the sinks parking area on the list of planned
projects.
Priced at $1,158,732.00 the sinks contract was
awarded to Firvida Construction, a Virginia based
Company. According to Park Spokesman Bob Miller,
parking at the site is going to be completely
reconfigured, with a focus on improving traffic flow
coming in and out. The current parking area will also
be enlarged, using available flat land. The rock cliffs
behind the current parking lot will not be blasted,
according to Miller. The centerpiece of the project will
be a Handi-Cap accessible stone terrace, overlooking
the waterfall.
Firvida has received several stimulus contracts, with
the Sinks being the largest.
According to reports issued on www.nps.gov, the
Sinks Parking Area and Meigs Creek Trailhead would
be closed from November through May 25, 2010, but
as of December 13, the Parking lot was open and in
use. Miller said construction was scheduled to begin
at any time and at that time the parking lot area will be
shut down. Though construction will be starting
behind schedule, the project should still be completed
by its Memorial Day target. “The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act offers us the opportunity to
substantially improve our infrastructure. When the
projects are finished our road system will be in the
best shape it has been in for decades and our visitors
will find their travel safer as well as more pleasurable.”
said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “With the
number of projects going on at the same time there
will be some impact on traffic while the work is
underway. We have worked very hard to minimize this
inconvenience through scheduling as much work as
possible between February and Memorial Day.”
scheduled for Million Dollar Facelift
RG Williams
The Valley Voice
For years, throngs of visitors to the “sinks” went away
wondering if the strange name referred to the popular
swimming hole-or the condition of the parking lot
above it.
Located on the Little River, inside the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, the “sinks” is a major
attraction for park visitors on their way to Cades
Cove, as well as locals looking for a quick dip.
Through years of use the asphalt has begun to
crumble in the overcrowded parking area, and
parking and congestion are both major problems.
When Park officials released word, earlier in the year,
that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
funding had been allocated, it came as no surprise to
see the sinks parking area on the list of planned
projects.
Priced at $1,158,732.00 the sinks contract was
awarded to Firvida Construction, a Virginia based
Company. According to Park Spokesman Bob Miller,
parking at the site is going to be completely
reconfigured, with a focus on improving traffic flow
coming in and out. The current parking area will also
be enlarged, using available flat land. The rock cliffs
behind the current parking lot will not be blasted,
according to Miller. The centerpiece of the project will
be a Handi-Cap accessible stone terrace, overlooking
the waterfall.
Firvida has received several stimulus contracts, with
the Sinks being the largest.
According to reports issued on www.nps.gov, the
Sinks Parking Area and Meigs Creek Trailhead would
be closed from November through May 25, 2010, but
as of December 13, the Parking lot was open and in
use. Miller said construction was scheduled to begin
at any time and at that time the parking lot area will be
shut down. Though construction will be starting
behind schedule, the project should still be completed
by its Memorial Day target. “The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act offers us the opportunity to
substantially improve our infrastructure. When the
projects are finished our road system will be in the
best shape it has been in for decades and our visitors
will find their travel safer as well as more pleasurable.”
said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “With the
number of projects going on at the same time there
will be some impact on traffic while the work is
underway. We have worked very hard to minimize this
inconvenience through scheduling as much work as
possible between February and Memorial Day.”
Staff Photo/ Valley Voice
Above: The sign marks the parking lot of the popular
Smoky Swimming Hole Known as the "Sinks", in this
December 12, 2009 photo. Construction has not yet
started on the multi-month project, expected to cost $1.1
million Dollars.
Smoky Swimming Hole Known as the "Sinks", in this
December 12, 2009 photo. Construction has not yet
started on the multi-month project, expected to cost $1.1
million Dollars.