News Release

Updated and Changed Road Delays and Highway Closures North of Colter Bay

Date: October 11, 2019
Contact: Denise Germann, 307.739.3393

MOOSE, WY—Due to weather and other extenuating circumstances the highway closures at Arizona Creek, approximately five miles north of Colter Bay on U.S. Highway 89/191/287, have been rescheduled. Grand Teton National Park is conducting maintenance work at this location and construction crews are currently preparing for the installation of new wing walls at Arizona Creek. Travelers should expect one-lane traffic with up to 15-minute delays in the area. These delays will be during the week as well as on weekends as crews try to complete maintenance work before the arrival of winter.

This work will involve temporary highway closures at Arizona Creek. Closures will be on Monday October 21 and Tuesday October 22 (originally scheduled for October 16 and 17). On each of these days, there will be two 3-hour closures of the highway, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. One-way traffic access through the area will be allowed between these times.

Those wishing to access or depart Yellowstone National Park on these dates through Yellowstone’s South Gate may want to consider using the Yellowstone West Entrance to avoid the delay.

The work will address deferred maintenance in the park. The scope of work at Arizona Creek is to replace four failing concrete wing walls that channel water into the box culverts and protect the adjacent bank. Pre-cast wing walls will be installed by using a crane to move them and set them in place. One pre-cast wing wall weighs approximately 46,000 pounds and therefore requires a large crane to set the walls in place. The crane will take up both lanes of traffic once set up.

In addition, travelers should also expect delays along the Gros Ventre Road on the Monday October 14 holiday, in addition to week-day delays. The final phase of emergency repairs related to the June 2017 washout of the Gros Ventre Road has begun and traffic has been reduced to one lane of travel. Traffic delays associated with the Gros Ventre Road repair project are limited to 15 minutes between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. The holiday work is necessary as crews prepare to pave the road next week. Weekend work is also anticipated in the near future.

During this time of the year, visitation to the area winds down, services and facilities are closed, and there is much less traffic, making it the opportune time for this work to take place before winter arrives.

Updates will be communicated via roadside signs near Colter Bay and Flagg Ranch, park road information line at 307.739.3682, and the park’s Facebook and Twitter sites.

Roadwork schedules may change, or be delayed, due to weather conditions, equipment malfunction, or other extenuating circumstances.