Comments Sought on Yellowstone River Bridge Replacement

The National Park Service is seeking comments on three proposals for a Yellowstone River Bridge replacement in Yellowstone National Park, located on the Northeast Entrance Road near Tower Junction.

The bridge is a heavily used facility, as it’s part of the only road corridor in the park open year-round and plowed in the winter. Built in the early 1960s, the concrete deck, sidewalks, and parapets have deteriorated.

The Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed project would evaluate three alternatives.

• In Alternative A (no action), the bridge would remain in its existing condition.
• Alternative B would replace the bridge with a larger 1,200-foot-long bridge about 500 feet south of its existing location. One mile of new road would be constructed to line up with the new bridge location. Following construction, the existing bridge and approximately 1.5 miles of existing road would be removed and the area restored.
• Alternative C would include the construction of a new bridge directly adjacent to and slightly north of the existing bridge. Following construction, the existing one would be removed. The new bridge would be approximately 600 feet long and the road that approaches the bridge would be moved north.
• Alternative B and C would reconstruct the 24-foot-wide bridge to a 30-foot-paved width, reconfigure, and expand the Yellowstone River Picnic Area, and improve turnouts for vehicles along the road.

The EA is scheduled to be completed by spring 2020. Once complete, the EA will be placed on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website for public review and comment. A decision on the project would occur likely by summer 2020.

Comments must be received by November 16, 2019.  Comments may be submitted online at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/yrb, by hand-delivery, or by mail. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or by any other means.

Hand-deliver comments during business hours to: Albright Visitor Center, Attention: Yellowstone River Bridge EA, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.

Mail comments to: Compliance Office, Attention: Yellowstone River Bridge EA, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.

Public Comment Considerations

• Bulk comments in any format submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
• Before including your address, phone number, email, or other personal information, be aware that your entire comment – including your personally identifiable information – may be made public at any time. You may ask us to withhold your personally identifiable information from public review, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
• The proposed project is an undertaking as outlined under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (36 CFR § 800). We welcome comments about historic properties or other cultural resources that fall within the project area.

The NPS will prepare an EA that complies with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and other applicable laws and regulations.

For more information about this proposal, visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/yrb.

Photo courtesy National Park Service.