If you’ve ever driven the spur, you already know how dangerous it can be. It’s the main road that connects Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, winding through the mountains with sharp turns, steep drop-offs, and constant traffic. It’s supposed to be a beautiful drive through the Smokies, but for a lot of people, it’s turned into one of the scariest and most dangerous stretches of road in Sevier County.

Every day, thousands of cars use that road. Locals driving to work, delivery trucks, school buses, and families on vacation who don’t know what’s coming around the next curve. The road is narrow and curvy, there are no traffic lights, barely any signage, and no real protection if something goes wrong.

When it’s daylight and dry, it’s already risky. But when it rains, fog sets in, or it gets dark out, it becomes a completely different story. There are almost no street lights along the spur. Once the sun sets, it’s pitch black. Drivers rely only on their headlights to see, and that’s not enough on a mountain road with sudden bends and heavy traffic.

What makes it worse is that there are sections where the road runs right beside a cliff that drops straight into the river, and there are no guardrails or barriers to stop a car from going over. One bad skid, one distracted moment, one animal in the road, and it could cost someone their life. People who live here know how often accidents happen along that road especially near the Welcome Center, the bridges, and the tunnel areas. Locals see the wrecks and the flashing lights all the time. Visitors stuck in traffic might not realize it’s because someone got hurt.

This isn’t a rare problem anymore. It’s constant. And it’s preventable.

We’re asking the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Sevier County officials, and the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to finally make The Spur safe for everyone. That means:

• Installing traffic lights or smart signals at high-risk intersections like the Welcome Center and bridge areas

• Adding proper street lighting so drivers can actually see at night

• Installing guardrails and barriers along the cliffside sections near the river

• Improving road signage and enforcing safer speed limits

These are basic safety measures that should already exist on a road this busy and this dangerous.

If our cities can spend millions every year decorating for the holidays, then we can absolutely afford to invest in real lights, the kind that actually save lives. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge bring in millions of visitors each year and generate enormous tourism revenue. Protecting those visitors, as well as the locals who drive that road every single day, should be a priority.

The spur shouldn’t keep being a place where people get seriously hurt or killed while just trying to get home, go to work, or visit the mountains. The accidents, the sirens, the constant risk, it doesn’t have to be this way. A few changes could prevent so many crashes, injuries, and tragedies.

We love these mountains, and we want everyone to enjoy them safely.

 

Please sign and share this petition. Let’s push for change before the next accident happens. Because it’s not a question of if it will— it’s when.