Alpine road job may be done in 2012
A trio of bicylists make their way around The Loop on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Hiker and bicyclist access will be allowed on the road beyond Avalanche Creek even though motorists will be stopped at a gate there during the fall shutdown for road reconstruction.
Mike Bercier with Anderson Masonry works on a rock wall along Going-to-the Sun Road between Big Bend and Logan Pass in Glacier National Park in mid-August. Because of intensive reconstruction work on that stretch of road, western access to Logan Pass will be closed to vehicles at midnight tonight. Road gates will be set up at Avalanche Campground as Sun Road work shifts to a higher gear. Park visitors still will be able to drive to Logan Pass from the east side.
Accelerated by federal stimulus funding, this year’s work on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is helping to propel rehabilitation of the road’s alpine section toward completion in two years.
“We’re looking at finishing the alpine section in 2012,” said John Schnaderbeck, the project’s engineer with the Federal Highway Administration.
“Originally we were going to be doing one phase at time, but with the stimulus money we are doubling up and making a pretty big dent in this project and we are pretty excited about that.”
Work was temporarily halted and the road was closed between Big Bend and Jackson Glacier Overlook on Friday after about 3 inches of snow fell on the road’s higher elevations.
But other than that, work progressed mostly unimpeded over the summer, and there are hopes that much will be accomplished after today, when the road will be closed for the fall between Avalanche and Logan Pass, allowing for two-lane construction to proceed west of the pass.
“This fall, we’ll have three segments of road under construction,” Schnaderbeck said.
One section will be between Siyeh Bend and Logan Pass, where road grading will be underway to prepare for paving next June and July. There also will be considerable masonry work undertaken in the weeks to come.
“Masonry is kind of a slow process. It kind of drives the whole project,” Schnaderbeck said, referring to the massive rehabilitation project that began in 2005.
West of the pass, work will be under way between Big Bend and Logan Pass.
The most challenging work will involve installing drainage pipes more than 20 feet below the road surface, which will require extensive excavation and a two-lane closure.
There are several crews working on retaining walls and guard walls along that section of road. And there will be work to patch up the road before the snow flies.
“We’re keeping it sealed up so we don’t have any problems with spring runoff,” Schnaderbeck said.
Work will continue on that section next summer, with paving expected to be completed by Oct. 1.
Also this fall, there will be drainage work and reinforcement and replacement of the road subgrade between Avalanche Campground and the West Tunnel. That stretch of road is scheduled for paving next August and September.
Once this year’s three alpine work sections are finished, the goal is to dive into work between Haystack and Big Bend — the final piece in rehabilitating the higher reaches of Sun Road.
“After that piece is completed, the alpine section is done,” Schnaderbeck said.
But there will be ongoing work on lower stretches of road.
“Our goal is to complete the entire 50 miles, but the alpine section is the most time-consuming and challenging,” he said.
Schnaderbeck said this year’s work program cost about $25 million, with about 50 percent of that money coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Next year’s program budget will be in the same range, with about 75 percent paid for with stimulus funding.
At any given time during this year’s work season on the road, Schnaderbeck estimates there have been between 60 and 80 construction workers employed by HK Contractors and that company’s subcontractors.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.