YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Construction of the new Lewis River Bridge in southern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is finally almost complete.

August 4 is the fifth anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), and YNP gave an update on social media about the status of the bridge, which was funded through GAOA.

The new bridge over the Lewis River while under construction. Photo: NPS

GAOA was established in 2020 to address extensive and long overdue maintenance and repair issues in national parks across the country. On the list of Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) projects put out by the National Park Service (NPS), the Lewis River Bridge is estimated to cost over $37 million.

Buckrail previously reported that the bridge was set to be completed in the fall of 2024. The project is part of a larger investment by YNP to replace roads and bridges within the park.

The new Lewis River Bridge near completion. Photo: NPS

The bridge sits about 10 miles north of the South Entrance and spans the Lewis River near the base of Lewis Falls. YNP wrote in the post that “hundreds of thousands of vehicles travel this road corridor every year, so the old bridge saw its fair share of use since its construction in 1960.” The new bridge will improve visitor safety and access, and it expands parking and viewing areas of the falls.

Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.