After months of work, and no small inconvenience to visitors, the construction of a new bridge over the Gibbon River and a realigned roadway has ended in Yellowstone National Park and the result is a safer, more beautiful roadway with good access to picnic areas and fishing.

While the project -- which has been in the planning stages for about a decade and got under way back in August 2009 -- largely was wrapped up back in September, there still were delays to travelers as road striping and other cosmetic touches were concluded. Among the project's components were a redesigned Gibbon Falls Overlook and parking area and two new picnic areas. One of the new picnic areas is at Iron Springs. The old Gibbon Falls picnic area has been removed and the area now features a one-way road with a scenic pull-out.

While the route's opening will be short-lived -- all interior park roads are scheduled to close for winter on Monday morning, November 8 -- the project will benefit the public in the years to come with a safer route thanks to straightening of the road and the new 253-foot bridge.

And there's also an environmental benefit, as wetlands, rare plants, thermal areas, and even the path of the Gibbon River itself were disturbed when the old road was built in the 1930s. Part of reconstruction project involved not just removing the old road and bridge but restoring a 2-mile section of river corridor.

The land along the river was reshaped back to the way it was before the old road was built, and thousands of native plants grown from seed were to be planted in the area. When completed, about three acres of wetland habitat will have been restored, according to park officials.

The rock retaining walls are eye-pleasing, and we're told the lanes are wider with more reasonable shoulders, space-wise.