Plows Continue Working On Park’S Going-To-The-Sun Road

Crews continue plowing Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, but the pass still isn’t open because of safety concerns, park officials said Friday.

Avalanche experts dug a snow pit on the Continental Divide above the road and found there is an unstable layer of snow on top of an unusually deep snowpack, said David Eaker, park spokesman.

“There’s about 6 to 8 inches of loose snow above the road in the avalanche chutes, and they are concerned that might come down,” he said. “There’s still a considerable cornice overhanging the road at Siyeh Bend.”

Eaker said there is still a lot of clearing and road widening to be done before the road will be opened.

Crews still are trying to clear rock, ice and snow through much of the section between The Loop and Jackson Glacier Overlook east of the Continental Divide.

Most of the work involves clearing the area around the Big Drift, which measured more than 70 feet deep this year.