For the Pilot

The west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road will be opened to motor vehicles as far as Big Bend on Friday, about three miles below Logan Pass. Glacier National Park officials hope to have the road completely open to motor vehicles "as soon as it is safe to do so," Park spokeswoman Amy Vanderbilt said.

She said it should be a matter of days, not weeks, as has been reported in some news outlets. Crews were still widening the road through the Big Drift east of Logan Pass, installing guardrails and doing general clean-up at presstime. T

rail crews were also helping out with the road clearing.

Motorists should expect some construction delays en route, and portions of the road will not be paved. Restroom facilities will be available at Big Bend until the road completely opens to Logan Pass.

Hikers and bikers will be allowed to go beyond Big Bend, Vanderbilt said. Skiers should be able to carve some turns, as snow was still relatively deep above Logan Pass. On the east side, the road will be open to motor vehicles as far as Jackson Glacier Overlook.

The complete length of the road this year couldn't open earlier than June 19 because HK Construction is allowed a shoulder season to work completely across the road width.

Last week, they were working on the rock wall near Haystack Creek, using a crane that took up the entire road surface as they bored into the wall to grout and stabilize it.

Free transit service on the road will begin July 1 and run through Sept. 7.