Going-to-the-Sun Road: A Model of Landscape Engineering

Abstract:

This site describes the first highway by which visitors could see the lakes, glaciers, alpine peaks, and meadows of Glacier National Park. Work on the 50-mile route, which connected the east and west sides of the park and crossed the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, began in 1921. The high technical standards of the Bureau of Public Roads (later the Federal Highway Administration) needed to be balanced with the commitment of the National Park Service to minimize damage to the landscape.

Subject:

Science and Technology, Social Sciences

Grade Level:

Primary, Secondary

SubTopics:

Policy and Advocacy

Collection:

National Park Service