PETERSBURG, Va. -- Weeks after storms toppled nearly 200 trees across 7,000 acres, most of Petersburg National Battlefield is open again to the public.
The main road leading through the park and all the trails closed for cleanup following the June 16 severe weather. More than 18 miles needed to be cleared and rendered safe for visitors.
Park officials say while most of the facilities are open, the boardwalk around Crater Tunnel remains closed due to storm damage.
Crews from numerous other national parks, including Shenandoah and Gettysburg, came to Petersburg to assist. Dozens of workers pulled 12-hour shifts manning chain saws during some of the hottest days of the year.
The historic site marks where 70,000 people died between 1864 and 1865 as Union General Ulysses S. Grant worked to cut supply lines to Richmond during the Civil War.
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