History
The expressway is limited-access much like an Interstate highway at various points along its route, including stretches between Interstate 40 and the west side of Waynesville, through Sylva and near Cherokee. While the route does include some at-grade intersections, there are currently no traffic signals along the route to impede traffic.
The Great Smoky Mountains Expressway roughly follows the route of the historic Murphy Branch of the Western North Carolina Railroad, now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Much like the railroad was before it, the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway was and still is important in connecting the mostly rural areas in the southwest to the rest of the state. However, there is very little traffic compared to typical expressways, as there is no other major route or population center for it to connect to in the southwest.
Read more about this topic: Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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