Lamar River Bridge Project Set To Start Next Week

Work is set to get underway next week on a bridge construction project in Yellowstone National Park. The current Lamar River Bridge, five miles east of Tower Junction, will be replaced. Morgen & Oswood Construction, Inc., of Great Falls, Montana will begin mobilizing equipment for the project as early as Monday, October 11.

During the next two years, a new bridge will be built south of the existing structure, traffic will be re-routed across the new bridge, and the existing bridge will be demolished. A short section of the Lamar River directly adjacent to the bridge will be closed to fishing for angler safety during construction. Park staff members will provide details and answer questions about this and other road projects at a public meeting set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12 in the Conference Room of the Community Visitor Center in Cooke City, Montana.

Those traveling between Tower Junction and the communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate should expect up to 30 minute delays for the next several weeks, until work is halted by winter weather. Delays will resume when construction starts back up in early spring.

Total cost of the two year project is just under $ 7.5 million. The current bridge is over 75 years old, and despite ongoing maintenance, has deteriorated. It does not meet current road design or seismic standards. While there are no safety issues that should be of concern to travelers, the National Park Service limits the size and weight of vehicles from traveling across the current bridge.

Ongoing construction projects along the East Entrance road through Sylvan Pass and through Gibbon Canyon between Norris and Madison are set to be completed in the coming weeks.

Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is always available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.