YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - Visitors to Yellowstone National Park are now using the new Yellowstone River Bridge.
This Great American Outdoors Act construction project is moving into its final phase as crews continue work on overlooks, remove the old bridge, and restore the Lost Creek drainage. The full project is expected to be completed in 2026.
Watch: New bridge opens in Yellowstone National Park
The bridge was one of the biggest construction projects in the park's recent history.
The old bridge was deemed structurally deficient, with crumbling concrete. The new bridge, located upstream, is more than twice as long, at 1,285 feet, as the 62-year-old bridge.
The bridge is needed to provide year-round access to and from the Northeast Entrance and communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City.
According to previous reporting from MTN News, new pullouts, paved parking areas, and a dedicated route across the new bridge will increase access to trails, fishing, and viewpoints.
The Yellowstone River Picnic Area will be enlarged to accommodate increased visitor use.
The project was originally estimated to cost slightly more than $71 million, but park officials said the rising cost of labor and materials like concrete and steel pushed the expenditure to $118 million.
The project is moving into its final phase as crews continue work on overlooks, remove the old bridge, and restore the Lost Creek drainage. The full project is expected to be completed in 2026.
Previous report: Major road construction projects on tap in Yellowstone National Park this summer (April 5, 2023)
