America’s Historic Roads
Puzzle 59 · Parkways and Scenic Engineering · Page 85 in print
Going-to-the-Sun Road
At Glacier, the route of Going-to-the-Sun Road changed to protect a mountain valley. Thomas Vint favored a road along the Garden Wall instead of repeated switchbacks climbing the valley below.
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The words
Air Drills
Pneumatic drilling equipment used by the contractors.
Butte
Montana city from which Irish workers were recruited.
Dump Cars
Small rail cars used to carry excavated material.
Explosives
Blasting materials used to break rock.
Garden Wall
Cliff along the selected western approach.
Gas Shovel
Gasoline-powered excavator among the three main shovels.
George Goodwin
Engineer responsible for an early route proposal.
Grubbing
Removal of stumps and roots before road construction.
Kittredge
Frank Kittredge, the route’s survey engineer.
Logan Pass
Continental Divide crossing served by the road.
Masonry
Stonework including bridges, culverts, retaining walls and guardrails built by station gangs.
Power Shovels
Mechanical excavators used on the central section.
Rock Debris
Broken stone cleared after blasting.
Station Gangs
Small subcontracted teams performing masonry work.
Thomas Vint
Landscape engineer who argued for the Garden Wall alignment.