YELLOWSTONE PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. – Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance Road (Tower Junction to the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) will open to regular visitor vehicle traffic Saturday, Oct.15 at 8 a.m.
Visitors should keep the following details in mind when driving the road:
- All flood damaged sections on the Northeast Entrance Road will be paved by Oct.15, except for the section of road near the popular trailhead to Trout Lake, which will be paved in the upcoming 10 days. Traffic will be permitted on this segment of road while repairs continue. Anticipate traffic control in the area and short delays to facilitate one-way traffic through this section.
- A short section of road in Lamar Canyon will remain a paved, single lane through the winter season. A temporary stop light will be in place for traffic control and delays will be minimal.
- There will be no restrictions on the Northeast Entrance Road.
- After opening to the public, this road will continue to be an active construction zone. Drivers will need to use caution and watch for crews and heavy equipment.
- Repair efforts will continue beyond Oct. 15 for as long as weather permits. Additional repairs and clean-up will continue in the spring.
“We are very pleased to be restoring public access to the northeast corridor just four months after the June flood event,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “I commend the collective efforts of the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration and Oftedal Construction, Inc. to complete this monumental task in such a short amount of time.”
The Northeast Entrance Road has been closed since the historic flood event in June which caused significant damage to approximately five sections of the road. Reopening this section effectively opens 99% of the park’s roads.
This project is being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration and funded largely by FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads. Oftedal Construction, Inc. is the primary construction company under contract to complete this project. Crews are completing extensive work on the Old Gardiner Road (a limited-access road between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs). Paving is currently being completed over the entire 4-mile road and over 5,000 feet of guardrail is being installed. This road remains closed to regular traffic and will open no later than Nov. 1.
