Photos show glimpses of recovery in Yellowstone months after devastating floods
Yellowstone National Park roads destroyed by floods in June are being rebuilt with the expectation of reopening in November, officials said.
Old Gardiner Road, where some of the worst flooding occurred, is being expanded and will connect Old Mammoth Springs to Gardiner, Montana, according to a news release from the park and Federal Highway Administration.
The photo shows the roadway under construction with red cones blocking off the rock border.
Old Gardiner Road is being paved this week and will be followed by the installation of the guardrail, which will allow traffic to safely pass through., officials said.
The road, which was originally a stagecoach route in the 1880s, has been modernized to a two-lane, four-mile road and is scheduled to open by Nov. 1, officials said in the news release.
“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.
The flooding in June caused mudslides, horrific flooding and damage to power lines and wastewater lines, according to the National Park Service website.
Over 10,000 people were evacuated due to the floods and the entire park was forced to close, according to The Associated Press. At least 88 people were rescued by Montana State Guards from their campgrounds and small towns around the park.
Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming and spreads through Montana and Idaho. In 2021, over 4.8 million people visited the park, making it the busiest year on record with a 28% increase, according to the National Park Service website.
Yellowstone National Park is best known for Old Faithful, geysers located in the park’s Upper Basin that erupt around 20 times a day, according to Yellowstone National Park Trips website.
This story was originally published October 5, 2022 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Photos show glimpses of recovery in Yellowstone months after devastating floods."