Public access anticipated Thursday evening

Glacier National Park officials on Wednesday afternoon estimated about 800 to 900 cubic yards of rock and mud still needed to be removed from the Going-to-the-Sun Road near Big Bend as a result of rock and mud slides on Tuesday afternoon.

At least 12 different slides hit the alpine road from The Loop to an area near Triple Arches. The Sun Road was closed from Avalanche Creek to Logan Pass on Tuesday and all day Wednesday. Park officials anticipate the road will re-open Thursday evening, weather and road conditions permitting.

Park road crews and members of the road rehabilitation contractor, HK Contractors, Inc., began clearing the roadway Tuesday evening. Debris remained on the road and in culverts and ditches by the Wednesday evening. Various equipment and hand shoveling are being used to remove the debris.  

A short and heavy rain event on Tuesday afternoon is believed to have triggered the slides. About 150 vehicles were in the area at the time. One vehicle sustained damage that required a tow truck to remove it from the area. The occupants of that vehicle sustained minor injuries. No one was seriously injured.  

The Avalanche Creek area is now very congested, and visitors are encouraged to explore other areas of the park during this time.  

Online road status in Glacier Park will be updated at http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm. Photos of the incident are available online at www.flickr.com/photos/glaciernps.