Yellowstone Park asks Wyoming DOT to adopt ‘orphan’ Beartooth Highway

Posted 1/21/14

“The work we do on the Beartooth Highway will always be secondary to the work we do in the park,” he said. “I’m telling you it can’t be our highest priority.”

Changing travel trends

Portions of the highway are in poor condition, …

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Yellowstone Park asks Wyoming DOT to adopt ‘orphan’ Beartooth Highway

Posted

Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk traveled to Cheyenne on Thursday to ask Gov. Matt Mead and state transportation officials to participate in a unique adopt-a-highway program.

“The work we do on the Beartooth Highway will always be secondary to the work we do in the park,” he said. “I’m telling you it can’t be our highest priority.”

Changing travel trends

Portions of the highway are in poor condition, and neither state has wanted to assume the long-term costs of plowing, maintenance and reconstruction.

McOmie said a state statute typically prohibits WYDOT employees from working on roads that aren’t part of Wyoming’s highway system, which the Beartooth is not.

More cooperation

possible

The Park Approach Act gave the Park Service authority to contract for maintenance of the road, but it never established a funding mechanism for maintaining the highway.

“That road is a national treasure, but we can never get to the point where someone cares enough to fund it properly,” Capron said.

Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash characterized the meeting between Wenk and Mead as “cordial,” and said they also discussed winter use, bison management and other issues.

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