Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-31
Small Portion OF
Glacier Park Road
To Be Completed

There is every indication that a
trans-mountain highway through the
Glacier national park will be con-
structed within the nea future. This
is the only remaining unfinished link
in the Theo. Roosevelt international
highway which runs from Portland,
Maine, to Portland, Oregon. This in
dication Of contemplated construction
from a recent announcement
by Secretary of the Interior Payne
that this is one of the most important
projects from a transportation stand
point now before that department, is
the. statement issued by A. W.
Tracy, general secretary of the Theo.
Roosevelt International Highway as
ISOLATION.
To. assist in. improving organized
highways across the United States,
such as the Theo. Roosevelt interna-
and the Yellowstone Trail and a score
of others, a federal fund Of $64.533,-
019 has also been approved by the
buerau of public roads Of the United
States department Of agriculture, to
be expended or from 5000 to 10000
miles of marked trails which TOY
criss-cross the country. This mileage
includes S85 projects which form links
in one or the other of the t%wenty-four
AAAo Y lloAlo "4A1Clk OCCl AoAu
out by private enterprise.
A considerable portion of this vast
mount of money will be spent on the
Thco:f. Roosevelt international high
way. especially in the western states,
according to a recent announcement
by the United States department of
agriculture. Every automobilist is
familiar with these important high
ways which, for the most part. are
u.o11 h,,i1t or1 ~ n i,f ino1 ~ fhot 1~;xy-
ing over them is a joy and comfort,
hui to embrace those highways in the
federal system OF trans-continental
roads, it may be necessary to make
some changes in the routes before
they receive the approval of the fed
eral government and are apportioned
federal aid. AS the Theo. Roosevelt
International highway stands today.
It has the approval of the department
Fig employed .as far. az. state facilities
Will permit EDnstruction. 81 .,s !. ( =
The fact that federal, aid is being
{, applied In III western states. to a
greater extent than in the eastern
states is due to the fact that trails
in the eastern states had, been already
improved to a larger extent" before
the routes were selected. This is not
true in h western section of the
country where long stretches Of the
selected roads were still in an un-
improved condition when they were
Regarding the important connec-
ton through the Roosevelt Pass, Sec
rotary of the Interior Payne ex-
pressed the need Of this. construction
as .folloWs.~ D 'ft
7 From 4 transportation standpoint,
undoubtedly the most important pro-
ject is the construction of the trans
mountain road across the continental
divide. At present the east n west
sides Of the park are divided as If a
high board fence separated the two
sides. with only loopholes for trails
perceptible. Motorists to the park
are not inclined to visit both sides,
since the only means of transporting
automobiles is to ship them by rail-
road from n side to the other, in
less a long detour is made. Of the
new road construction projects in all
the parks this is probably the most
important; 1t is the great lacking link
in the park-to-park highway"
Should this construction be taken
up this spring, it would mean the
connecting up of the only unfinished
Link in the !Theo. Roosevelt interna-
tional highway. considered one of the
most important highways in the
United States. At present it is neces.
sary for tourists to have their cars
freighted from Glacier to Belden
Montana, a distance of ffty-two miles
while the tourists themselves make
the short trip on horseback.