Foothills Parkway bridge dedicated
Neal Stone stands in front of the plaque honoring his father, Dean’s, contributions to the Foothills Parkway. NPS photo
A bridge on the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley, Tennessee, has been newly dedicated as Dean Stone Bridge, complete with a bronzed marker.
Stone, longtime editor for The Daily Times in Maryville, Tennessee, was a staunch supporter of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and served for over 30 years as a board member and chairman of the Governor-appointed Tennessee Park Commission before passing away in 2016.
Authorized by Congress on Feb. 22, 1944, the Foothills Parkway is one of seven congressionally mandated parkways. The newest section, completed in 2018, includes a 1.65-mile section connected by nine bridges. Sen. Lamar Alexander and Congressman John Duncan introduced legislation to name the longest of these bridges after Dean Stone in honor of his dedication, advocacy and persistence in securing support for the completion of the Foothills Parkway. The legislation was passed as part of the Dingell Act in 2019.
The Foothills Parkway now consists of two finished sections at either end of the 72-mile corridor. The western section extends 33 miles from Chilhowee to Wears Valley and the eastern section, completed in 1968, extends 6 miles from Cosby to Interstate 40.
