Drive of Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, North Carolina | Driving Sounds for Sleep and Study

A scenic summer drive on the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway in North Carolina before rain.

4K video drive for relaxation, stress relief, meditation, study and sleep. As with all my videos, this is not looped or layered, this is a real-time recording, filmed by me, using the best binaural microphones, cameras and audio recorders available for extremely realistic results.

"The Great Smoky Mountains Expressway is a 43-mile (69 km) section of US 74; from US 19 (Alarka Road), near Bryson City, to I-40, near Clyde. The expressway also shares concurrences with three other major highways in the region: US 19, US 23 and US 441. The Expressway is broken into five segments: three freeway segments, where all major interchanges occur with 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) speed limit, and two expressway grade segments that links the freeway gaps along the route at 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) speed limit.

The western freeway segment begins at the US 19 (Alarka Road) interchange, south of Bryson City, and ends after the US 441 interchange, south of Cherokee. This 10-mile (16 km) segment serves as a bypass south of Bryson City, Ela, Whittier and Cherokee. All five exits in this segment provide direct or indirect link to nearby US 19, which is the older highway that follows more closely to the banks of the Tuckasegee River. The Expressway itself is routed along the north slopes of the Alarka Mountains and briefly through the Qualla Boundary before crossing the Tuckasegee River, at the Swain-Jackson county line. A 7-mile (11 km) expressway grade segment separates western and central freeway segments; curving along the north banks of the Tuckasegee River, the routes main feature is short cement median or cement wall that separate the lanes of traffic.

The 4.5-mile (7.2 km) central freeway segment serves as a bypass north of both Dillsboro and Sylva. Routed along the south slopes of the Plott Balsams, the Expressway features the major interchange with US 23/US 441, where travelers can go south to Franklin and on to Atlanta, Georgia. A 12.5-mile (20.1 km) expressway grade segment separates the western and eastern freeway segments; featuring a short cement median to separate the lanes of the traffic, it crosses the Jackson-Haywood county line at Balsam Gap, where it also connects to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The eastern freeway segment begins at the US 23 Business (Balsam Road) interchange, southwest of Waynesville, and ends at the I-40 interchange, north of Clyde. This 9-mile (14 km) segment serves as a bypass west of Waynesville, while also serving Lake Junaluska and Clyde. Having been built in the mid-1960s, it is the oldest segment of the Expressway and features a short grassy median with guardrails separating traffic lanes. There is also a quirk where westbound travelers can utilize Exit 107 and then re-emerge back onto the Expressway at the Exit 106 on-ramps. Some travelers may see this as a short-cut and will typically drive faster exiting off and then back onto the Expressway. Traffic congestion is also more common in this segment of the Expressway."

Read more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_S...

Relaxing Walks:
https://www.relaxingwalks.com

Google Maps (roughly):
https://goo.gl/maps/eHSmYb5coBybEks3A

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Audio note: The audio in the video was recorded using binaural microphones in high quality, sensitivity and dynamic range for extremely realistic results. For the best audio experience, listen on a good pair of headphone while increasing the volume until the environment sounds natural.

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