The Linn Cove Viaduct, one of the most iconic structures of the Blue Ridge Parkway, is set to undergo its first major repaving and maintenance work in more than 30 years. Located 80 miles northeast of Asheville, N.C., at an elevation of approximately 4,300 ft, the S-curved 1,243-ft-long segmented bridge was the final section of the scenic 469-mile highway that was begun in 1935 as a Civilian Conservation Corps project. Local and state opposition to a proposal that would have required major cuts and fills on Grand­father Mountain led the National Park Service to route the parkway segment along rugged mountain slopes, including rocky Linn Cove. Comprised of 153 50-ton concrete segments and seven piers, the viaduct was completed in 1983 at a cost of nearly $10 million, according to the National Park Service. The viaduct is part of a seven-mile segment that will be closed for three months of maintenance on March 1. The $1.9-million project, to be performed by Bryant Land Development, Burnsville, N.C., will include new pavement, replacement of waterproofing membrane and bridge joints, and repairs to the substructure, railing and drainage system.