Swain goes to the bank on the Road to Nowhere.

• Position: Western - Brief article

Swain County ended its 67-year struggle to get the federal government to build a road on the north shore of Fontana Lake, with county commissioners taking a $52 million cash settlement instead (Regional Report, May 2008). Six of the road's 37 miles were completed in 1972 before environmental laws halted work, giving rise to the nickname "Road to Nowhere." The money comes with strings: The principal will be managed by the state and can't be...