Nearly 200 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway reopen after Helene but North Carolina section remains closed

Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are open again — but not in North Carolina.

The National Parks Service announced on Oct. 10 that the parkway would be open from milepost zero to milepost 198, beginning on Saturday, Oct. 11. Visitors can travel from Shenandoah National Park south to Virginia Route 685 - Skyview Drive/Turkey Ridge Road, according to the Facebook announcement .

Additionally, the NPS hopes to reopen the remainder of the road in Virginia in the next two weeks.

The parkway through North Carolina, however, does not have the same fate. There is no reopening date for that stretch of the road.

The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina remains closed after Tropical Storm Helene caused extensive damage to the area. The NPS said that "considerable work remains" to clean up the damage from the storm, which includes thousands of fallen trees and nearly three dozen mudslides.

Related: With Blue Ridge Parkway closed, try these five other routes for scenic drives to see fall colors

"We are committed to restoring all sections of the parkway to the highest standards of safety and accessibility for our visitors," said Tracy Swartout, superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the announcement.

Road closures in North Carolina, Tennessee

Western North Carolina is open to essential traffic only, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In order to access the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, travelers must drive through Tennessee.

Map: See latest North Carolina road conditions, closures

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Nearly 200 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway reopen after Helene but North Carolina section remains closed