| The Blue
Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the
United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles (755
km) through the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part
of the Appalachian Mountains. Land on either side of the road is
maintained by the National Park Service. It is the longest, narrowest
National Park in the world and is the most visited unit in the United
States National Park System. In many places, the park is bordered by
land protected by the United States Forest Service. Begun during the administration of U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, the project was originally called the "Appalachian Scenic Highway." Most construction was carried out by private contractors under federal contracts under an authorization by Harold L. Ickes in his role as federal public works administrator. Work began on September 11, 1935 near Cumberland Knob in North Carolina; construction in Virginia began the following February. On June 30, 1936, Congress formally authorized the project as the "Blue Ridge Parkway" and placed it under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. Some work was carried out by various New Deal public works agencies. The Works Progress Administration did some roadway construction. Crews from the Emergency Relief Administration carried out landscape work and development of parkway recreation areas. Personnel from four Civilian Conservation Corps camps worked on roadside cleanup, roadside plantings, grading slopes and improving adjacent fields and forest lands. During World War II, the CCC crews were replaced by conscientious objectors in the Civilian Public Service program. |
