YNP Battles Rockslide

Yellowstone National Park is mobilizing plows and personnel to open an alternate route between the Lamar Valley and the rest of the park.  Crews and equipment are being pulled off spring clearing of the Beartooth Highway to clear the road from Tower Junction over Dunraven Pass to Canyon Village.  Saturday morning, rocks and debris were discovered, covering a section of road at the entrance to Blacktail Plateau Drive, about eight miles east of Mammoth Hot Springs.  The rockslide temporarily closed the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction.  While much of the debris covering the road actually was cleared by 9:00 am, park managers remained concerned about the threat posed by a large amount of loose rock and dirt above the roadway could easily dislodge and fall. Barricades have been set-up on both sides of the slide area and the road is currently available for emergency travel only.  Weather and avalanche conditions on the Dunraven Pass permitting, the alternate road could open to travel by next weekend. Yellowstone General Store at Tower Fall, and Roosevelt Lodge are scheduled to open on Friday, June 10