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Construction on Trail Ridge Road began in September, 1929 and was
completed to Fall River Pass July, 1932. Trail Ridge was built to
counter deficiencies of Fall River Road. The Fall River route was
too narrow for the increasing numbers of vehicles. Frequent snowslides,
deep snow, and limited scenic views also plagued the route.
The maximum grade on Trail Ridge does not exceed 7%. Eight miles
of the road are above 11,000 feet in elevation. Two different contractors
were hired to complete different sections of the road. The first
section completed, 17.2 miles, was Deer Ridge (8,937') to Fall River
Pass (11,794). The road reached Grand Lake in 1938.
During road construction, workers had only about 4 months of the
year (mid-June to mid-October) to work. The presence of permafrost
required that careful attention be paid to construction to avoid
permanent quagmires. Planning efforts sought to reduce scarring
on the surrounding landscape. Natural construction debris was removed.
Log and rock dikes were constructed to minimize scarring and scattering
of rock blasting debris. Extra surface rocks were placed lichen-side
up. Tundra sod was salvaged and carefully placed on road banks.
Rock projections were kept as scenic "window frames" instead of
being blasted away. Rocks matching the surrounding land were used
for rock walls.
Tractors, graders, horses, a gas-powered steam shovel were used
to make the road. During the peak of construction, 150 laborers
worked on the road.
To learn more about the history of the park, read
a Brief
Park History on this website.
Spring Plowing
Plowing to open Trail Ridge Road for the season begins in mid-April.
It takes an average of 42 days to complete plowing operations. In
1995, it took 55 days to plow Trail Ridge Road.
Equipment is parked overnight at Rainbow Curve. Storms can strand
equipment at higher locations. An inch or two of new snow can drift
several feet overnight.
The rotary plow, called the "pioneer" rotary, is used to clear the
center line all day. The second rotary widens the road. The grader
and bulldozer pull snow from the bank-side of the road toward the
edge, where snow melts quickly. Water is diverted into ditches and
drains. Plowing the road at day's end prevents ice formation. If
snow drifts are above 20-25 feet, then the caterpillar climbs atop
and knocks the snow down. This is one of the more harrowing aspects
of the operator's job.
Drawing by Historic American Engineering
Record (HAER), Summer 2000
click
here to see the full set of drawings on the park's road system (3.5M
PDF file)
Equipment Facts and Cost
Approximate opening costs of both Trail Ridge and Old Fall River
Roads is $58,000. Trail Ridge, alone, can cost >$36,000.
- Equipment is fueled, oiled, and greased every morning.
- The rotary can cut into snow drifts as high as 21 feet.
- The blower on the rotary can blow snow up to 150 feet.
- The fastest time to Alpine Visitor Center was 2 days!! Of course, the road drifted in and
had to be plowed again.
- Past efforts to keep Trail Ridge Road open year round resulted in a lot of work and enormous
expenditures of money with little results. Storms, drifting snow, high winds made travel impossible much of the
time.
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Fees and Hours
Maps
Weather and Roads
Weather and Climate
Current Road Conditions
Mountain Driving
Scenic Drives
History of Trail Ridge Road
Free Shuttle Bus Service
What to Do in the Park
High Country Hazards
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