The Yellowstone River Bridge, which connects the park’s Northeast Entrance with Silver Gate and Cooke City, was recently revealed to receive a $118 million building contract.
The existing 604-foot bridge, erected in 1963, will be replaced by a new 1,285-foot steel girder bridge, according to the construction contract. The Great American Outdoors Act provides funding for the project, which includes constructing a new bridge and nearly a mile of the new road.
“This partnership between the Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, will make Yellowstone National Park — an icon of the American outdoors — more accessible for millions of visitors who come to experience the geysers, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges every year,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “That’s not only good for families enjoying the great American outdoors — it’s critical for the economies of local communities neighboring the park.”
Yellowstone National Park Announcement
The Yellowstone National Park Bridge over the Yellowstone River at Tower Junction on the Northeast Entry Road needs replacement. The park has just granted a construction contract for the nearly $118 million needed.
This initiative, made possible by grants from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), will ensure that park visitors can continue to use the Northeast Entrance and travel to and from the nearby communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana, throughout the whole year.
“As a vital piece of the only road corridor in the park plowed for winter use, the Yellowstone River Bridge provides visitors and communities with all-season opportunities to enjoy the beauty of the world’s first national park,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “We are grateful for the bipartisan GAOA support that provides funding necessary to complete large-scale infrastructure upgrades in national parks to improve safety and the visitor experience.”
The old 604-foot-long bridge, completed in 1963, will be replaced with a new 1,285-foot-long, 175-foot-high steel girder bridge located further upstream. The GAOA money will also be used to build a new road that is about a mile long and will connect to the site of the new bridge.
Trails, fishing spots, and scenic vantage points will be more accessible thanks to the construction of new pullouts, paved parking places, and a pedestrian pathway across the new bridge. The famous Yellowstone River Picnic Area will also be expanded during construction to meet the needs of the growing number of tourists who visit the area. Once finished, the old road and bridge remnants will be removed and the landscape restored.
“This partnership between the Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, will make Yellowstone National Park — an icon of the American outdoors — more accessible for millions of visitors who come to experience the geysers, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges every year,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “That’s not only good for families enjoying the great American outdoors — it’s critical for the economies of local communities neighboring the park.”
“We greatly appreciate the support in funding this major project,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly. “This has been one of our highest deferred maintenance priorities for years and will help ensure safe visitor and community access within the northeast corridor.”
The construction is expected to start in the summer of 2023 and last until the fall of 2026. While the replacement bridge is being built, vehicles will continue to utilize the current bridge. Short occasional waits are to be expected in traffic.
Once finished, the section of road and bridge currently in place will be demolished, and the surrounding landscape will be restored. The road will be realigned to return the Lost Creek drainage to its former path and restore wetland areas that were cut in half by the road.
The Idaho Falls, Idaho firm HK Contractors, INC was given the contract to build by the Federal Highway Administration. Because of this work, the park will save almost $39 million in deferred maintenance and repair costs for this structure. Over half of the delayed maintenance and repairs in Yellowstone Park are associated with park roadways, accounting for an estimated $1 billion in 2022.
The massive backlog of delayed maintenance and repairs in national parks is being attacked head-on with the help of infrastructure financing from GAOA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Acts.
GAOA’s Legacy Restoration Fund, which is supported by revenue from energy development, grants the National Park Service up to $1.3 billion annually for five years to make significant improvements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.