Work to make the Old Gardiner Road accessible to regular traffic should be done by Nov 1/NPS, Cam Sholly

Work to open the Old Gardiner Road between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park to regular traffic is expected to be completed no later than November 1, the park has announced. The two-lane project, which was originally hoped to be completed by October 15, will be extended up to two weeks to ensure that more than 5,000 feet of guardrail is properly installed for traffic safety, a park release said.

Additionally, the National Park Service has asked the Federal Highway Administration to build a quarter-mile approach road into Mammoth Hot Springs to avoid a 12-15 percent steep grade on the original road, which dates to the 1880s when stagecoaches brought visitors into the park. This new approach route has required additional engineering and design to provide a safe road base to handle the 2,000-3,000 vehicles per day that enter the park from the North Entrance in Gardiner.

Yellowstone officials have also asked the Federal Highway Administration to expand road widths in certain sections of the Old Gardiner Road to prevent restrictions.

"We have set incredibly aggressive time frames for these repairs and our contractors have worked at lightning speed to get this road safely reopened," said Superintendent Cam Sholly. "It's essential that we do not cut corners and we ensure the road meets required safety standards prior to opening. It's also essential that we finish the job correctly, so we avoid any problems going into next year."

Heavy rains falling on snowpack that was already melting due to warm temperatures unleashed devastating flood waters on June 12 and 13 that chewed through the park road that runs east of Mammoth Hot Springs and through the Lamar Valley to Silvergate and Cooke City in Montana, as well as the road from Mammoth Hot Springs north to Gardiner, Montana. As the floodwaters swelled, park staff safely were able to evacuate an estimated 10,000 visitors from the park, including backcountry travelers.

The biggest challenge during the ongoing recovery effort has been how best to rebuild the park's North Entrance road, as the Old Gardiner Road is seen as just a temporary solution to allow visitors to enter Yellowstone from the north. It could take three-to-five years before a permanent North Entrance road is built.

The Old Gardiner Road was determined to be the best and only option to quickly reconnect Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner after the floods. The single-lane dirt road has been expanded to two lanes over its entire 4-mile length. The new approach road coming into Mammoth Hot Springs is under construction. Paving is expected to begin the week this week, and nearly 1 mile of guardrail will be installed between October 10-20. If the Old Gardiner Road is completed prior to Nov. 1, it will open it to public travel sooner.

The Northeast Entrance Road (Tower Junction to the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) is expected to open as planned on October 15 to regular traffic.

Yellowstone is coordinating with Montana and Wyoming and a 7-mile section of road between Cooke City and the Pilot Creek Trailhead (known locally as the plug) will be plowed, if necessary, until the Old Gardiner Road is completed. This will ensure continued access to the communities of Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana.

For details, including up-to-date photos, about the June 2022 floods in the park and ongoing recovery, visit go.nps.gov/YELLflood.