Park report: $178 million in deferred maintenance

Glacier National Park has a deferred maintenance backlog of $178 million, according to a recent report issued by the National Park Service.

Most of that is road paving projects, including the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Many Glacier Road.

A long-standing rehabilitation project continues along the length of the Sun Road, with about $20 million remaining according to previous estimates from Park. The Sun Road project is expected to finish up by 2017, if Congress passes a highway bill. The current highway bill expires in May.

The Many Glacier Road is in very poor condition — parts are slumped so badly no pavement remains, just gravel.

The Sun Road is highlighted in the Park Service report, with a photo on the cover of damage caused by a large avalanche at Granite Creek several years ago.

The Park also lists $27 million in deferred maintenance to buildings, $7.7 million for housing, $3.7 million for campgrounds and $13 million for trails.

The Park Service defines “deferred maintenance” as “the cost of maintenance that was not performed when it should have been or was scheduled to be and which, therefore, is put off or delayed.”

But the Park’s “critical deferred maintenance” is far lower, according to the report — $11 million for buildings and $2.8 million for housing. Critical maintenance for the Park’s 738-mile trail system is about $5.7 million. Paved roads were not included in the critical maintenance report.

The report also estimates what current infrastructure is worth. Replacement value for Glacier Park infrastructure is about $1.46 billion total. The buildings are worth about $303 million and the paved roads about $808 million.

The report doesn’t provide a value for natural views. To view the report and tables, visit online at www.nps.gov/subjects/plandesignconstruct/defermain.htm.