http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=12207635'The Dragon' closure costly for business owners
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 10:14 PM EDT
MARYVILLE (WATE) - A section of U.S. 129 known as "The Dragon" is closed after a rockslide and it has business owners in two counties worried about loss of revenue.
The road got its nickname for its curviness, resembling the tail of a dragon. It attracts motorcycle riders and sports car drivers from around the world.
Officials with the state Department of Transportation say it will be closed until the end of July so crews can clean up the rockslide that happened earlier in March.
The work is expected to begin in early April.
Business owners say that will cost Blount and Monroe county millions in lost business this spring and summer.
The Punkin Center Motorcycle Resort makes its money from being located next to the Dragon. "Fifty feet outside the door here is the main intersection in the United States for motorcycles and sports car drivers," says Jody Montgomery, who helps his wife run the business.
He says usually, they would be getting ready to sell 5,000 T-shirts a week and welcome guests into their motel.
Instead, it's quite the opposite. "We had a group from Sweden flying in their motorcycles and all that. They were going to stay the month of April, just had to return their stuff because they had to cancel," Montgomery says.
He says they had to refund the group more than $7,000. But that's just a small dent compared to the hit his business will take over the next few months.
"From now, this weekend, through April, May, June, probably an impact of $50,000 a month on this small business. On the economy of the county, Blount and Monroe county, probably $500,000 to $1 million a week in revenue that won't pass through now," Montgomery says.
Charlie Woods bought his summer house because it overlooks the Dragon. "I'm from Michigan. I come down here because I enjoy this motorcycle riding area."
He got here two days ago not knowing about the closure. So he'll be cutting his trip short to leave Friday morning.
"The people just won't come here if you can't go up and down through there," Woods says.
