Park pass may open halfway on Saturday

West-side opening may be delayed until next week

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road is expected to open for vehicle traffic - from the east at least - on Saturday.

Glacier's management team met Thursday to review the road's status and concluded that the gate at Jackson Glacier Overlook "will likely swing open to traffic sometime on Saturday," a park press release states.

Visitors entering the park at St. Mary would be able to drive to Logan Pass, where the visitor center and parking are still being prepared for the summer visitor season.

The visitor center will not be open this weekend, but restroom facilities will be available.

Access to the pass from the west side of the park will be delayed for several days due to construction near the West-side Tunnel, along with additional cleanup work needed between the tunnel and the pass.

"We are proud of the work our crews have done once again in preparing the road for opening," Glacier Superintendent Mick Holm said.

Visitors are urged to call the park at 888-7800 to check on the latest status of Sun Road. Vehicle access can quickly change due to weather. Information also is available on the park's Web site, http://www.nps.gov/glac/home.htm

Sun Road opened at Logan Pass on May 22 last year, but it was temporarily closed just a few days later because of foul weather.