1.5

1.5 Project Setting
Park entrance sign
The project study area, shown in Figure 1-1, is in westem North
Carolina and includes a portion of GSMNP in Swain County and a
portion of the AT in Swain and Graham counties. Both the
GSMNP and the AT are individual units of the national park system
within the NPS. The study area extends from just west of Fontana
Village to the eastern municipal limits of Bryson City, covering an
area of roughly 120,000 acres (ac) (48,562 ha). Fontana Lake
divides the study area into halves to include land south and north of
the lake. The southern limits of the study area are parallel to and
just south of NC 28 and US 19/LTS 74, while the northern limits follow an arc that includes the majoriry of
land transferred in the 1943 Agreement.
To provide the full range of study alternatives and thorough analyses that are required by NEPA, the EIS
study area covers a large expanse of land. Specifically, the inclusion of land south of Fontana Lake is
necessary to evaluate the existing roadway network, the area's transportation needs, and potential access
options across Fontana Lake. The inclusion of rural communities such as Lauada, Almond, Stecoah, and
Bryson City, to name just a few, provides insight on the local population's economy, demographics, and
social values.
1.6 System Linkage
1.6.1 Road Networks
The existing road network services the areas surrounding Fontana Lake and connects Bryson Ciry and
various secondary roads to regions outside the study area. The primary east-west roadways in the study area
include US ] 9, US 74, and NC 28. US 19 is a two-lane facility that goes through downtown Bryson City
before merging with US 74 southwest of town. The merged US 19/LTS 74 is a four-lane, divided facility
with a grass median, which then transitions to a fiv�lane, undivided section west of the Little Tennessee
River. In the study area, NC 28 extends from US 19/US 74 in Swain County to Lake Cheoah in Graham
County.
1.6.2 Railroads
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) services the Bryson City region, connecting Dillsbaro,
Bryson City, and Nantahala. The 53-mi (85-km) line was owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad until 1988,
when it was purchased by the state of North Carolina and leased to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad,
Inc. It is now primarily used for passenger travel as a tourist attraction for the area. No other passenger or
freight service is available in the study area.
1.6.3 Airports
No airports are in the study area. The nearest airport, Macon County Airport, which has one landing strip,
is off NC 28 south of the study area. The nearest major airport, McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville,
Tennessee, is roughly 50 mi (80.5 km) northwest of the study area.
Introduction —1-4
North Shore Road Final Environmental Impact Statement