News Date: 04/09/2010 Outlet: WBIR-TV Article: WBIR.com Anthony Welsch Updated: 4/8/2010 10:43:58 PM Posted: 4/8/2010 2:55:57 PM TDOT officials plan to reopen most of the section of US 129 know as "The Dragon" during daylight hours beginning Monday, despite the challenges emergency crews will face responding to wrecks on the curvy stretch of road. According to a news release, the stretch of U.S. 129 from the Tabcat Bridge to the North Carolina state line will be open to traffic each day between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. for all but commercial and large RV traffic. The road will remain closed to all traffic overnight. For businesses in Swain and Graham Counties in North Carolina, the news couldn't have come at a better time. The counties are approaching 20% unemployment. "We've laid off 24 people. Our sales are down almost 98%. But we're right there, for us, it's really bad. For the rest of the county, MicroTel todl me they're bleeding about 60% a month," Brad Talbott, the owner of Deals Gap Motorcyle Resort said. "This is all they've got. They don't have industry. They don't have huge tourism. They have motorcycling and they have sports cars." Talbott estimates the partial opening will allow them to do about half the business they'd normally do. "The glass is half full. We can say 'well, just pour the water on the ground and we'll all wither up up and die', or we can make do with what we can get," Talbott said. The section of U.S. 129 from just past the Foothills Parkway to the Tabcat Bridge will remain closed as crews work to remove a rockslide that closed the roadway in March. TDOT said Tennessee Highway Patrol officers will monitor the road while emergency responders from Graham County, North Carolina will be called if there are accidents with injuries. In previous years, Graham County had refused to respond to emergencies on The Dragon because of the cost. "When your community is facing complete economic destruction, you forget about a lot of feuds," Talbott said. The rockslide is expected to be cleared by July 31. However, TDOT will provide an incentive to the contractor that is clearing the road and securing the rock if the work is completed early.