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Nighttime road closures will go into effect on a section of road between Norris Campground and Indian Creek Campground due to construction.
Beginning Monday, July 27, this 5.4-mile section of the Grand Loop Road will be closed to through traffic between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. This road closures are expected to remain in effect until September, possibly into October.
The section in question begins just north of the Norris Campground entrance and ends just before the Indian Creek Campground.
“We realize closing this portion of the road will be an inconvenience to some visitors,” said Yellowstone superintendent Dan Wenk in a National Park Service Yellowstone press release. “However, the window of opportunity to perform road construction in Yellowstone is limited due to the long winters. By implementing these closures at night, it allows the contractor to more safely and effectively get this critical work done, while impacting the fewest number of visitors. No one wants their vacation to be affected by road construction, but we can all appreciate the safer, more enjoyable park experience that this project will provide.”
The work being done marks the first major upgrade to the road since it was built in the 1920s. Specifically, crews are widening the road (which currently measures 18 to 22-feet wide) to the national standard width of 30 feet. In addition, crews are widening shoulders, improving pullouts, rebuilding the Gardner River bridge, and diverting traffic farther away from thermal areas.
The road will remain open during the day, but visitors should expect delays of up to 30 minutes while traveling through construction. Longer delays may occur if the weather is severe or the temporary road is muddy. Visitors are also expected to exercise caution while traveling through construction areas; this includes obeying posted speed limits, minding construction workers/equipment, and driving carefully over gravelly roads.
The road closures come as part of a multi-year project improving a 16-mile stretch of road between Norris Geyser Basin and Swan Lake Flats—specifically, the Golden Gate area.
In the meantime, both Norris and Indian Creek Campground will remain open and accessible 24 hours a day.
