The Glenwood post., 1923-11-08
CALLS IT PRAIRIE
ROAD THRU ROCKS
Road Magazine 50 Designates
Our Midland Trail Thru
Busk, Ivanhoe Tunnel
MAKES SCENIC MARVEL

"The Appian Way" a magazine in
the interest of the Pixies Peak Ocean
to-Ocean highway, in recent issue,
effort to transform the old Colorado
Midland grade into a transcontinental
auto h ighway, commenting on the pro-
7lect as follows:
"The Pixies Peak Ocean-to Ocean
Highway association will carve anoth
er niche i nthe monument of fame that
it has created in highway circles in the
r;.it few years, when a new Colorado
project is completed. This project will
b. q tunnel route under some of Colo
rado IS mountains, for the use of motor
ears. 1t will be wonderful thing in
itself, and VIII be great attraction
to the tourists all over the United
States, but one of its best advantages
will be that it will cut out much noun
ta;n climbing, which will be counted
an asset by any motor car driver.
"The new tunnel will be another
link in the mighty chain the Pixies
Peak highway is welding to make it
possible to have 365-day traffic on
the Pixies Peak route from coast to
coast. There is little doubt but that it
will deflect traffic from the other
routes going through Colorado, and will
materially assist in popularizing the
Pixies Peak highway, already the favor
lite in the west, throughout the country.
"The tunnel, which is known as the
Busk-Ivanhoe tunnel, will be between
Leadville and Glenwood Springs, and
will clip off many n mile between the
two cities. Leadville, known through
out the country as the highest incor-
porated city in the United States. and
having one of the most picturesque
mining camps in the world, rests on
the crest of the continent.
"The tunnel will be two miles long,
and by its use tourists will tap one of
the most wonderful sceenic sections of
America. Just how the trip through
the tunnel will be made by motor cars
is, as yet uncertain. State highway
commission members in Colorado be-
lieve that a danger of the tunnel, the
only one, will be from monoxide gas
from the automobile 3 exhaust. This
may be overcome by using an electric
drag to tow the cars through the tun-
mel at a small charge. Another sugges-
tion has been the use of gas masks by
the people in the ears. The headlights
from the motor cars will provide the
light within the tunnel.
''Of the many natural wonders that
will dot the wayside, four of principal
interest will be near Leadville The
first on leaving the city will be Tur-
quoise lake. The Busk-Ivanhoe tunnel
is sixteen miles from Leadville on the
proposed road. Beyond that is Ivandoe
lake-one of the bottomless crater
lakes which abound in this state. Hell
Gate is short distance beyond Ivan
hoe lake-a narrow pass between two
cliffs, rising several hundred feet on
one side and dropping an equal dis
tance on the other.
"After passing He'll Gate the motor
ist will traverse mile after mile of wild
beauty. He will be constantly sur
rounded by mountains of the main
range of the Rockies. The road over
the entire route is a continuous series
of curves, each leading into a new
wonderland.
"'A prairie road through the noun
tains, was the comment of William
Weiser, of Grand Junction. manager of
the highway commissions advisory
board, when he was taken over a part
of the proposed road west of the big
tunnel. Location Engineer Howard
Cowden and George Tupaine, mainte-
nance man of the Grand Junction dis
trict, highway officers who also visited
the Busk -Ivanhoe tunnel, were equally
enthusiastic. Divisional Engineer Err
nest Montgomery, who attended the
meeting at which the Lake county
board of commissioners pledged their
support to the proposition, also ex-
pressed approval Of the project.
'sMotor trucks and horse-drawn We
hicles could make their way through