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A Summer Of Road Work Will Slow Travel In Yellowstone National Park

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By Compiled From N... - March 28th, 2023

If you're packing for a trip to Yellowstone National Park this summer, be sure to pack some patience, as four major road projects will create some delays in the park.

The projects will impact traffic around the Lewis River Bridge, Old Faithful to West Thumb, Yellowstone River Bridge, and Northeast Entrance Road. 

The park's North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast Entrance (Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana) are open to all traffic with no restrictions. Both road corridors were repaired after last year's historic flood event.

The National Park Service began the Old Faithful to West Thumb and Lewis River Bridge projects simultaneously in 2022 to complete both projects in a three-year window. Otherwise, impacts to visitors would have occurred over four to five years.

Addressing the maintenance backlog is part of the National Park Service’s core mission to preserve national parks and provide a world-class visitor experience. Yellowstone has an asset inventory totaling $4.1 billion, with an estimated $1 billion in deferred maintenance and repairs associated with this inventory. The park also has an estimated $54 million in annual routine maintenance requirements.

To further Yellowstone's investing in infrastructure strategic priority, the park is committed to developing a cogent deferred maintenance reduction plan, improving the quality of data and prioritization processes, and taking better advantage of current and future funding to improve asset conditions and protect investments.

The Projects

Among the GAOA projects being funded at Yellowstone National Park is replacement of the Lewis River Bridge/NPS

The Lewis River Bridge will be replaced/NPS file

1. Lewis River Bridge

Location: Nearly 10 miles north of the South Entrance on the South Entrance Road.

Access: Beginning summer 2023 until fall 2024, expect up to 20-minute delays while roads are open to wheeled vehicles (May-October 31). Nearby pullouts and the trail to Lewis River Falls will be closed during construction.

Improvements: The  project  includes  the replacement of the Lewis River Bridge.  The existing bridge will be removed and a new bridge will be constructed immediately  downstream. The project includes additional parking  and viewing  opportunities.  The project costs $31 million and is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund.

2. Old Faithful to West Thumb

Location: Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb.

Access: Beginning summer 2023 until fall 2023, expect up to 30-minute delays along this segment of road while roads are open to wheeled vehicles (May-October 31).

Improvements: This project includes the rehabilitation of 22 miles of the Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb, one of the most heavily traveled road corridors in the park. Construction will include repaving the full 30-foot-wide roadway segment, which was last repaved in 1987 and has deteriorated due to heavy usage and winter weather conditions. Additionally, guardrails, culverts and other drainage structures will be replaced to enhance visitor safety. This project costs $43 million and is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund. 

The Yellowstone River Bridge is scheduled to be replaced/NPS file



3. Yellowstone River Bridge

Location: Near Tower Junction along the Northeast Entrance Road

Access: Beginning summer 2023 until fall 2026, expect occasional and short traffic delays. The Northeast Entrance Road is open year-round to wheeled vehicles. Hiking trails in the area may temporarily close during the duration of the project. Visit the Backcountry Situation Report for details.   

Improvements: This project includes the replacement of the structurally deficient Yellowstone River Bridge built in 1963. A new 1,285-foot-long, 175-foot-high steel girder bridge upstream will replace the existing 604-foot-long bridge to preserve year-round access to/from the Northeast Entrance and communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City in Montana. New pullouts, paved parking areas, and a dedicated route across the new bridge will increase access to trails, fishing, and viewpoints. The Yellowstone River Picnic Area will be enlarged to accommodate increased visitor use. This project costs $118 million and is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund.

The North

Work to complete repairs along the Northeast Road corridor will continue/NPS file




4. Northeast Entrance Road (Flood Recovery)

Location: East of Tower Junction between Lamar Canyon and the Northeast Entrance

Access: Beginning early summer 2023 until fall 2023 expect up to 30-minute delays. The Northeast Entrance Road is open year-round to wheeled vehicles. Night work will occur (without overnight closures).

Improvements: This project includes the completion of work to address flood-damaged areas of the road between Lamar Canyon and the Northeast Entrance. Construction will include completion of a two-lane realignment in Lamar Canyon, paving a second lift north of the Trout Lake Trailhead, stabilization of streambanks adjacent to the road, work in the Pebble Creek Campground and Warm Creek Picnic Area. Additionally, some guardrails, culverts and other drainage structures will be replaced to enhance visitor safety. This project costs $25 million and is funded through the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads Fund.

Stay informed about park road conditions:
  • Visit Yellowstone’s website at  park roads.
  • Receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
  • Call 307-344-2117 for recorded information. 

Before traveling, check road conditions outside of Yellowstone in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Grand Teton National Park, and view the park webcams to see current traffic conditions at the North and West entrances to Yellowstone.

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