amongst some of the most difficult terrain encountered in canada, engineers blasted 2,087,234 cubic metres (2,730,000 cubic yards) of rock, removed 5,982,641 cubic metres (7,825,000 cubic yards) of earth, and cleared of forest in order to bridge the of wilderness known as "the gap". the gap was completed and opened to traffic on september 17, 1960, uniting the two segments and completing the route of highway 17 from the manitoba border to the quebec border.