Major Repairs Begin in Yellowstone to Address Flooding
According to a press release by Yellowstone National Park, major construction repairs began on Tuesday.
The work will be done on damaged sections of the park’s Northeast Entrance Road near Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, with repairs on two areas estimated to be completed by Oct. 15 of this year.
One project involves creating a two-lane road on the Old Gardiner Road, which has completed around 1.5 miles of the 4-mile road, along with culvert work, slope stabilization, and retainment.
HK Contractors Inc. is the primary construction company for this project.
The temporary road will allow for regular vehicle access, including visitors, to travel between Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner going into the winter season.
The other project involves repairing around five damaged sections of the Northeast Entrance Road, between Slough Creek and Barronette Meadows.
The temporary repairs will allow for regular vehicle access, including visitors, to travel between Tower Junction and Cooke City/Silver Gate.
Oftedal Contractors Inc. is the primary construction for this project.
Both projects are being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and funded largely by FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO).
According to the release, the National Park Service is working with the FHWA to create long-term alternatives for the permanent reconstruction of the Northeast Entrance Road.
The long-term projects will take place over multiple years, though no specific dates were given.
The release by the NPS states there will be opportunities for the public to provide comments when they do come up, with future weather conditions possibly impacting the construction process.
The work on the park comes after the historic flooding the park experienced in June that destroyed various roads and bridges across the park, causing it to close for several days.
Approximately 94% of the Yellowstone backcountry is currently open.
Linda Veress, a public information specialist with Yellowstone, said they don't have any cost estimates to share at this time for the various repairs.