Going-to-the-Sun Road - Glacier National Park
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 48° 43.057 W 113° 43.106
12U E 300054 N 5399631
Historic road passing across Glacier National Park and listed as a National Historic Landmark and an American Society of Civil Engineers Landmark.
Waymark Code: WM262M
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 09/10/2007
Views: 88
"The Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana's Glacier National Park was once described as "the most beautiful piece of mountain road in the world." Those words, spoken by park Superintendent Eivind Scoyen to several thousand spectators at the road's 1933 dedication ceremony, will continue to ring true for many users now that a historic rehabilitation is underway.
The Sun Road, as some abbreviate it, is an 80.5-kilometer (50-mile), two-lane highway that winds through the heart of the park, up the steep slopes of the Continental Divide, and over 2,026-meter (6,646-foot) Logan Pass. Motorists can experience what some view as the most spectacular mountain scenery in North America -- glacier-carved peaks, deep blue lakes, and lush forests.
The highway itself, built mostly between 1921 and 1937, is considered an engineering marvel by virtue of its designation as a National Civil Engineering Landmark. Most of the 19-kilometer (12-mile) "alpine," or high mountain, section over Logan Pass was built into the sides of near-vertical cliffs using a network of stonemasonry bridges, tunnels, and arches. A series of 130 retaining walls support the roadbed along the steepest sections, and more than 11 kilometers (7 miles) of guard walls and guardrails help guide motorists and keep them on the road. These stonemasonry guard walls give the road much of its historic character and architectural aesthetic appeal.
Today the Sun Road has more than 475,000 vehicles traveling it during Glacier's peak visitor season from June to October, or about 3,500 vehicles per day. Approximately 80 percent of the park's two million annual visitors travel the road, according to park surveys." ~ Federal Highway Administration website
Location:
Glacier National Park
Type of structure/site: Road and structures
Date of Construction: 1919-1932
Engineering Organization Listing: American Society of Civil Engineers
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Web Site: [Web Link]
Engineer/Architect/Builder etc.: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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