A harbinger for summer is on the horizon - Glacier National Park officials have announced plans to open Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass this Sunday.

It will be one of the earliest openings on record for the road. After months of snow plowing work and other preparations, Logan Pass will be opened by mid-day Sunday, weather and road conditions permitting.

Parking and restroom facilities will be available and the Logan Pass Visitor Center will be open for limited hours during the initial weeks of operation. All trails in the Logan pass area are currently covered by snow. The Highline Trail will be temporarily closed from Logan Pass to Haystack Butte due to safety concerns.

Officials caution that winter conditions may also exist elsewhere along the Sun Road where snow, slush, ice and/or rock may be encountered on the roadway.

Because snow and rock fall may be a safety issue, travelers are advised that they could encounter short traffic delays or short-term closures along the road.

Once opened to vehicle use for the season, all park roads are accessible 24 hours a day, unless conditions require temporary closures.

During the 2005 season, historic rock wall repairs may cause traffic delays on portions of the Sun Road. Travelers can expect short delays at several locations on the upper roadway west of Logan Pass, for a total of no more than 30 minutes.

The earliest Logan Pass opening occurred on May 16, 1987. The latest opening of the entire Going-to-the-Sun Road, on record, was July 10, 1943. 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.

For more information on road and weather conditions and visitor services in Glacier National Park, call park headquarters at 888-7800.

On the Net:

http://www.nps.gov/glac/home.htm or

http://data2.itc.nps.gov/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm