NC 143 appears 1982-83 Official

NC 143 extended to Tennessee 1997-98 Official

The Skyway can be best thought of as a baby brother to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Its primary purpose is as a scenic drive, rather than to serve any populated areas. Secondarily, the road can be used to access backcountry areas. But not all backcountry enthusiasts are entirely happy about this. From Allen De Hart's North Carolina Hiking Trails: "The road has mutilated and scarred the mountain areas with some artifical walls where grass and trees can never grow, and where the wilderness qualities are destroyed forever. Conservationists tried for many years to prevent its construction." Well, the road doesn't seem that terrible once you drive it. Heading west from Santeelah Gap, the Skyway wastes no time rising to 4000 feet, and it stays at least that high until it's well into Tennessee. Small brown signs indicate every 1000 feet in elevation. Also, most of the overlooks are named with similar signs.
Most of the views on the North Carolina side look north, into the Santeelah Creek valley. From the road, a few short trails lead to mountaintops and 360-degree views. The two best are probably atop Huckleberry Mountain (about 5500 feet) and Hooper Bald (about 5400 feet). The highest point on the Skyway in either state is near the 5390-foot Santeelah Overlook. The Tennessee side of the Skyway spends less time above 4000 feet, but lower down the road runs along the scenic Tellico River. Most of the best scenery is in North Carolina.
The Skyway has a 45-mph limit in North Carolina, the same as on most of the BRP. The speed limit in Tennessee is only 30 mph, but is widely ignored.
In some important ways, however, the BRP and the Skyway are very different. Whereas the BRP is owned and maintained by the National Park Service, the Skyway belongs to the NCDOT and TnDOT. The Skyway is also less accessible than the Parkway is, and not just because the Skyway is in an especially remote area -- it's an arduous trek just to get the Skyway in the first place. You either have to get to, then through, the town of Tellico Plains in Tennessee, or drive several miles of twisty backroads in North Carolina. Both states are addressing this problem. In North Carolina, 143 through Robbinsville is scheduled for upgrades in coming years, either by widening it or building a new bypass around town. In the longer term, nearby roads that access the Skyway will be upgraded as well. On the Tennessee side, a new 165 is currently under construction (as of late 1998/early 1999) that avoids residential areas of Tellico Plains.
Whereas Tennessee maintains its half of the Skyway in the winter, North Carolina does not, and while N.C. doesn't officially close the Skyway during bad weather, there's no use trying to drive it. This can be frustrating whenever it's not summer; your best bet may be to ask about the conditions at the Cheoah Ranger Station, which is located on N.C. 143 just west of where it leaves 129.
The Skyway is one of the few surface roads in North Carolina with mile markers.