Thursday, Jul 5, 2007
On the evening of Sunday, July 1st, the entire length of Going-to-the-Sun Road reopened following months of snow plowing, debris removal and concerted efforts to repair storm damage inflicted by a storm last November. The entire 50-mile historic mountain roadway, which straddles the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (elevation 6,646 feet), is now open for 24-hour travel between St. Mary and West Glacier unless closed due to weather.
From July 1st through Labor Day, the park’s new (optional) Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle system will provide free transportation to locations along the road, and between Fish Creek Campground and Apgar Village locations. About 1,000 visitors reportedly utilized the transit system throughout the day on Sunday.
“This optional visitor service is intended to provide an alternative for travelers driving the Sun Road,” said superintendent Mick Holm. “As part of the park’s program to minimize impacts on visitors throughout the eight to ten year long Sun Road rehabilitation that begins this summer. This Sun Road transit service provides an alternative mode of transportation for those who don’t mind leaving their private vehicles behind. The shuttle system is strictly optional, but park managers hope its use will help reduce traffic lines at work zones along the Sun Road. The new optional shuttle service is in addition to the popular guided park tours from a Blackfeet perspective with Sun Tours and aboard the historic red buses with Glacier Park, Inc.”
The Sun Road transit system is available daily through Labor Day from early morning until night. The last buses depart Logan Pass for points east and west at 9:30 pm. On the Lake McDonald Valley route, 12-person buses will run every 15 minutes between stops. On the St. Mary and Apgar routes, larger buses will run every 30 minutes. The last buses will leave Logan Pass at 9:30 pm to both St. Mary Visitor Center and the new Apgar Transit Center.
In addition to the transit system, expanded interpretive and public information services have been developed. The new Apgar Transit Center opened July 1st with interactive kiosks and state-of-the-art large panel displays to help visitors orient and plan their trips. Visitors seeking in-depth information are urged to visit the Apgar Visitor Center at its pre-existing location. A short paved path connects the Apgar Visitor Center and the transit center. Comparable features are also being installed at the St. Mary Visitor Center, the eastern hub for the shuttle system.
Another expanded public information service begins this week with the availability of the weekly Sun Road project update. This weekly eBlast will be posted to the park’s web site each Monday morning and will provide current information regarding Sun Road rehabilitation, delays schedules and other timely information. To access this (printable) eBlast poster, go to the park’s website http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/upload/eblast07022007.pdf. This poster will soon be accessible at www.GTSRProject.com.
The delayed opening of the entire Sun Road was necessitated by road damage caused by heavy rainfall in November 2006. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) made more than $7 million available to the NPS for the repair of road damage through the Emergency Repairs on Federally-Owned (ERFO) lands program.
With the opening of the entire Sun Road on Sunday, parking, rest rooms and Logan Pass Visitor Center facilities are now available at Logan Pass. Trails in the Logan Pass area are currently covered by snow. The popular Highline Trail also opened for the season on Sunday. Portions of the trail sustained damage during the November 2006 storm; however, the trail is passable. Hikers should exercise caution around snow hazards and trail damage.
This is one of the latest openings of the entire Sun Road. The latest opening of the entire Sun Road, on record, was July 10, 1943, when the road was allowed to melt out. In recent years, the latest opening of Logan Pass occurred on June 28, 2002, after a record eight feet of snow fell between May 22 and June 10. The earliest Logan Pass opening to motorized traffic occurred on May 16, 1987.
For current information on park roads and weather conditions, and visitor services throughout the park, visit Glacier's website www.nps.gov/glac, dial 511 anywhere in Montana (select option 5) or call park headquarters at 406-888-7800.
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