Yellowstone National Park now says there is a possibility that the north end of the park will be able to reopen before the end of July. During a visit to Yellowstone National Park and Gardiner, Montana on Sunday, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams along with Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly announced 50 million dollars is being made available to kick-start recovery efforts from the record breaking floods.
That initial funding will be used to restore temporary access to Gardiner and Cooke City, Montana as well as other additional sites. Plans are being finalized for improving the Old Gardiner Road for temporary access between Yellowstone and Gardiner, Montana.
Further, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, road construction crews and materials that were already in the park for a previously scheduled road project to repair 22 miles of the Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb Geyser Basin will be diverted to the Old Gardiner Road project.
These and other efforts are hoped to restore 80% of the park for public access as early as the next two weeks.
