Yellowstone
National Park visitors should be prepared for increased traffic delays this
summer due to two major construction projects in one of the country’s most
popular national parks. The National
Park Service (NPS) has issued a warning to parkgoers,
advising them to plan their summer vacations accordingly.
The pair of
ongoing improvement projects that are underway center on replacing the Lewis
River Bridge and the Yellowstone River Bridge. Work on each of these projects
is expected to continue for several months yet, causing potential traffic jams
along the park's southern and northern road corridors.
At the Lewis River
Bridge, located about 10 miles north of the South Entrance on the South
Entrance Road, travelers can expect up to 20-minute delays. From May through the
end of October, the roads will be open to wheeled vehicles, but visitors are
advised that nearby pullouts and the trail to Lewis River Falls will be closed
while work is underway.
The project, which
includes the complete removal and replacement of the Lewis River Bridge with a
new-build bridge downstream, began in 2022 and is expected to wrap up in the fall
of 2024. Once work is complete, guests can look forward to additional parking
and viewing opportunities.
In the vicinity of
the Yellowstone River Bridge, situated near the Tower Junction along the
Northeast Entrance Road, parkgoers may experience up to 30-minute delays. The
NPS warned that area hiking trails may temporarily close during the
construction project, which began last year and is not expected to be completed
until 2026. The Northeast Entrance Road is open to wheeled vehicles year-round,
but the area’s hiking trails may be temporarily closed for the project’s
duration.
For this project,
the NPS is removing the existing "structurally deficient" bridge, built
in 1961 and measuring 604 feet long, with a new 1,285-foot-long, 175-foot-high
steel girder bridge situated upstream. The NPS advised that area hiking trails
may be temporarily closed amid construction, which began last year and is not
expected to reach completion until 2026.
This upgrade aims
to preserve year-round access to and from the Northeast Entrance, and the communities
of Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana. Featuring new pullouts, paved parking
areas and a dedicated route across the new bridge, the finished product will
also increase access to various trails, viewpoints and fishing spots, and the Yellowstone
River Picnic Area will be expanded.
The NPS offered
various ways for visitors to stay informed of the anticipated delays and
closures:
- Visit Yellowstone’s website at Park Roads.
- Call 307-344-2117 for recorded
information.
- Receive Yellowstone road alerts on
your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777.
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