YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has announced that two major road improvement projects will be underway during visitor season this year, alerting travelers that there might be traffic delays in the park’s northern and southern corridors.
The Lewis River Bridge and the Yellowstone River Bridge will both be under construction this summer. YNP encourages visitors to plan their travel accordingly.
The Lewis River Bridge project began in 2022 and is expected to wrap up this fall. Located about 10 miles north of the South Entrance on South Entrance Road, the existing bridge will be removed and replaced by a new bridge immediately downstream. The new location will have additional parking spaces and viewing opportunities, according to the park. Delays of up to 20 minutes are expected in the area. YNP said nearby pullouts and the trail to Lewis River Falls will be inaccessible during construction.
On the northern end of the park, the Yellowstone River Bridge project will continue, leading to traffic delays of up to 30 minutes. Hiking trails nearby might close temporarily while crews work on the bridge replacement. Construction began in 2023 and is expected to finish up in fall of 2026. The current bridge was built in 1961 and is considered “structurally deficient,” according to YNP. The replacement bridge, located upstream, will be 1,285 feet long and 175 feet high.
“New pullouts, paved parking areas and dedicated route across the new bridge will increase access to trails, fishing and viewpoints,” YNP shared via press release. “The Yellowstone River Picnic Area will be enlarged to accommodate increased visitor use.”
The park encourages visitors to keep these resources handy when planning to travel through Yellowstone by car:
- Visit Yellowstone’s Park Roads website.
- Call 307-344-2117 for recorded information.
- Receive Yellowstone road alerts on a mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
