Deals Gap, North Carolina
Deals Gap is a portion of U.S. Route 129 in Blount County, Tennessee, which also lends its name to a small unincorporated community and motorcycle resort situated in a gap in Swain County, North Carolina, United States. It is located along U.S. 129 at the Tennessee state line. The community has an unofficial population of 6, which is posted on a welcoming sign.[1] The community's approximate elevation is 1756 feet above sea level.
The Dragon
Deals Gap is a popular and internationally famous destination for driving enthusiasts (of motorcycles and sports cars), as it is located along a stretch of two-lane road known as "The Dragon" or the "Tail of the Dragon".[2] The 11-mile stretch of the Dragon in Tennessee is said to have 318 curves. Some of the Dragon's sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Wheelie Hell, Killboy (formerly Shade Tree) Corner, Mud Corner, Sunset Corner, Gravity Cavity, Beginner's End, and Brake or Bust Bend. The road earned its name from its curves being said to resemble a dragon's tail. The stretch bears the street name "Tapoco Road" in North Carolina and "Calderwood Highway" in Tennessee and is signed entirely by U.S. 129. State Route 115 is included on maps, and is the name used by Tennessee Department of Transportation for highway contracts.
Since part of the road is also the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there is no development along the 11-mile stretch, resulting in no danger of vehicles pulling out in front of those in the right of way. It mostly travels through forested area and there are a few scenic overlooks and pull-off points along the route. The speed limit on the Dragon was 55 mph prior to 1992; it was illegally reduced to 30 mph in 2005, without the mandatory Traffic Engineering Speed Audit to determine the 85th-Percentile Speed, as required by Tennessee Code. Thus the actual speed limit defaults to 65 mph as required by Tennessee Code.[3] The presence of state and county law enforcement on the Tennessee portion has dramatically increased in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011[4][5][6], despite admissions by state and federal law enforcement that most of the Dragon is federal jurisdiction only.[7]
In 2007, Tennessee Department of Transportation published a Road Safety Audit report illegally calling for the ban of all commercial activity and journalism on US129 near Deals Gap.[8]
In 2010, US129 at Deals Gap was closed for several months, to repair a rockslide in Tennessee.[9]
In the media
- Thunder Road (1958)
- Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
- The Fugitive (1993)
- In Dreams (1999)
- Top Gear (2010)
See also
Notes
- ^ http://www.theyeagergroup.com/50CC/The%20Ninjette%20at%20Deals%20Gap%201.JPG.
- ^ Ron Johnson (July/August 2006). "Destinations: Deals Gap, North Carolina". Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ John Lee (March 8, 2011). "Court says Dragon speed limit is 65 mph". Pirate News TV and Radio Show. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
- ^ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/may/26/blount-officers-work-to-tame-the-dragon/
- ^ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/sep/12/anderson-blount-briefs/
- ^ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/29/riding-safely/
- ^ John Lee (March 8, 2011). "Court says Dragon speed limit is 65 mph". Pirate News TV and Radio Show. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
- ^ Steve Allen (25 July 2007). "ROAD SAFETY AUDIT REVIEW, STATE ROUTE 115 (U.S. 129), BLOUNT COUNTY". Tennessee Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
- ^ John Lee (19 March 2010). "Rockslide slays Dragon". Pirate News. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
External links
- Location: 35°29′28″N 83°56′24″W / 35.491°N 83.94°W
- Deals Gap at the Open Directory Project