The Montana Department of Transportation’s (MDT) Gardiner Yellowstone Bridge
Project will entail the rehabilitation of the bridge deck and its north and south
approaches to extend the service life of the structure. While safe to drive, the bridge
deck is in poor condition and will continue to deteriorate if no rehabilitation measures
are taken. The following improvements are planned:
Deck milling and concrete overlay on the main bridge surface.
Deck replacement on the existing north and south approaches to the bridge.
Deck milling and concrete overlay on the widened portion of the approaches.
Expansion joint replacement.
Sidewalk replacement: The project will maintain the existing sidewalks along
both sides of the bridge. However, the northwest sidewalk approach will be
removed and reset to allow for sidewalk replacement and retaining wall
modification.
Project Location
The bridge is located in Gardiner on U.S. Highway 89 spanning the Yellowstone River
that runs through the middle of town. Gardiner serves as a major entry point to
Yellowstone National Park, which attracts about four million visitors annually.
Project Timeline
The project will occur in two phases and MDT has timed construction to minimize
impacts on the traveling public, especially motorists visiting the park. Phase 1 will
entail rehabilitation of one lane of the bridge and its approaches starting in early
September 2019, continuing through mid-November 2019. Phase 2 construction on the
opposite lane and approaches will start in early April 2020 and end early June 2020.
The construction schedule will avoid most of the peak of tourist season in mid-June,
July, and August.
Impacts to the Public
MDT is committed to working with local stakeholders to minimize construction impacts
on businesses and the traveling public. For both phases of construction, there will be
alternating single-lane traffic with temporary signals on the north and south ends of the
bridge. Although traffic control will entail width restrictions, they will not impact RVs
and fifth wheels. For wide loads, a detour will also be available using Old Yellowstone
Trail Road to cross the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs seven miles north of
Gardiner.
Due to the town setting and the significant volume of pedestrian traffic using the
bridge, an ADA-compliant pedestrian detour will be provided during construction. The
bridge has a sidewalk on each side of the road and pedestrians will be detoured to one
sidewalk during phased bridge construction activities.
For the most up-to-date travel information be sure to check Travel Conditions (look for
US-89).
UPN 8803