Riding west on Interstate 90 one summer day in 2024 between Bozeman and Belgrade, I saw an extraordinary two-truck convoy of bridge girders. They were destined for a project going on in Yellowstone National Park. One of the many complicated aspects of this project must have been getting the 65 girders, some of which were 100 feet long, to the build site via the narrow Park roads. I later learned that they were fabricated in Utah and their transport route went over Dunraven pass! That fall, I spent a few hours on a hillside near Tower Junction peering through binoculars as men installed those girders high above the river. A huge yellow crane lifted each girder up, and guys on the structure guided it into place. There was a bit of hammering, then bolts were tightened by hand with wrenches. Fascinated, I was curious to know more about this project, as well as the history of the bridges at the intersection of the Northeast Entrance Road and the Grand Loop Road near Tower Junction.

The bridge was constructed by Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction, a Utah-based firm specializing in monumental infrastructure projects. Spanning a steep canyon, the bridge is constrained by a highway, the Yellowstone River, and strict limits on disturbance in the protected area that is Yellowstone. RLW needed to innovate to meet a unique set of challenges. Because of the hydrothermal and geothermal location, with multiple gas vents along the river’s edge, it required sulfate-resistant cement, and thermal monitoring of below-grade concrete curing. Materials logistics and worker housing in so remote an area added to the challenge.

Despite its larger size, the new span was designed to have less impact than the 1963 bridge it was replacing. “The pillars allow the bridge deck to be up to the top of the Yellowstone River Canyon. This minimized the excavation we had to do on each side of the bridge,” says Daniel Rhodes, a landscape architect with Facility Management and Operations in Yellowstone. “The old bridge drops down the steep grade on both approaches. The new design was done to keep the grades level.” The Yellowstone River Bridge project aims to enhance safety, support ecological restoration, and preserve the natural and scenic integrity of Yellowstone, our favorite national park.


THE NEW BRIDGE 2026
•  Weighs more than 5 million pounds -- about 555 elephants, or one fourth of the weight of the Eiffel Tower
•  Is 1285 feet long, which is slightly longer than the “Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World,” which is the longest painting in the United States. This is the longest bridge in the state of Wyoming, and the largest man-made structure in Yellowstone National Park

•  Sits 175 feet above the riverbed—just a bit less than the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, about 17 stories
•  Is one of 61 bridges in Yellowstone
The four-span steel plate girder bridge has concrete decking, sidewalks, and a railing. The girders are a lovely brown-rust color, with simple curves, and lines that meet each of the three concrete piers.  The bridge was opened to vehicles on November 13th, 2025, but construction in the area continues. The whole project is projected to take three years and cost $134-million dollars, funded by the Great American Outdoor Act. Look for the sidewalks to open this summer, as well as the removal of the old bridge and obliteration of approach roads, a renovated picnic area, and restoration of the Lost Creek riparian area (will they rename it Found Creek?).

Speaking of names, it is odd that, with the myriad of place names in the Park, where it seems that every feature has a colorful moniker (Electric Peak, Turkey Pen Creek, Rescue Creek…), this bridge doesn’t have a formal name and is simply referred to as the “Yellowstone River bridge.” Note that it is not the first bridge at this location. That claim to fame belongs to Yellowstone Jack.


BARONETT’S or JACK’S BRIDGE 1871
Scotsman C.J. “Jack” Baronett (1829–1906) was a colorful and important figure in the history of Yellowstone National Park. “Baronett’s career was adventurous beyond the average man,” wrote H.M. Chittenden in his work The Yellowstone National Park: Historical and Descriptive. Jack prospected all over the world: Australia, Africa, China and Alaska. He arrived in the Yellowstone region in 1864—eight years before the Park was established—to join in the search for gold. Jack’s first claim to fame came in 1869 when he and a partner rescued Truman Everts, a lost member of the Washburn Yellowstone expedition who, after wandering in the wilderness for more than a month, was near death when Jack found him. Jack fed him melted bear grease to restore his strength and took him back to civilization. In the early days of the National Park, Jack served as assistant superintendent. He was also a scout for the U.S. Army, and one of the founders of the gold mining town of Cooke City, Montana. As a well-known guide in the park, his patrons included Generals Sherman, Sheridan and Strong, President Chester Arthur, and photographer Wiliam Henry Jackson. They all used the 1871 toll bridge built by Baronett. It was the earliest bridge in the Park and the first bridge crossing the 692-mile-long Yellowstone River.

Yellowstone Jack, a biography by Robert V. Goss*, was published in September, 2025. In this book, we learn that Baronett heard of a gold strike on Clark’s Fork in 1871. This time, instead of mining, he decided to profit by building a bridge over the Yellowstone River. He thought prospectors would pay a toll for a bridge allowing easier access to the east, avoiding a large detour via a dicey ford. He had noticed a perfect location while he was searching for Everts, a half mile downstream from the 2026 bridge site and slightly upstream of the confluence with the Lamar River. Park historian Aubrey Haines mentions that, “A rocky bank on the east side formed a ready footing for the abutment, and a rocky ledge, just exposed near the west bank at low water, provided a footing for a rock-filled, log-crib pier.” Baronett worked through the winter when the water was low and, with a few helpers, completed a 90-foot bridge. It was made nearly entirely of hewn-timber and was sturdy enough for horses and pack trains. Jack charged a toll to cover his costs, which were about $4000. According to a historical sign on the Madison River from the same time period, the toll for a wagon drawn by horses or mules was $2, and 25 cents for each pack animal.

Baronett’s bridge was partially burned by the fleeing Nez Perce in 1877. The following year Jack rebuilt, with improvements that allowed wagon travel. He invested another $2500. Baronett’s operation was ultimately bought out in 1899 for $5000 by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. It is not clear if he ever recouped his investment, but he never made a fortune in gold, nor in tolls, and died in the poor house. Baronett’s Bridge was replaced in 1903 by a larger steel truss bridge farther upstream. At 130 feet in length, it was the park’s longest single-span steel bridge at the time, and was called the New Baronett Bridge.


THE NAMELESS BRIDGE 1963
Fast forward 60 years; the New Baronett Bridge was obsolete and crumbling as traffic increased. It was replaced by a wider span and moved a bit farther upstream. The strictly utilitarian 604-foot structure cost $470,000. It was so nondescript that it lost its name! Though wider and longer (the third longest bridge in Wyoming at the time), there was still no room for pedestrians or animals. This bridge was inaugurated by Montana’s Mike Mansfield, then U.S. Senate majority leader. The dedication program reads “… the concrete pier and steel girder bridge we are dedicating today… should be adequate for the foreseeable future.” Following the dedication ceremony, a chuck wagon luncheon was served. The “foreseeable future” lasted 60 years before replacement was needed due to structural problems, bringing us to the current project.

I am wondering if the newest structure spanning the Yellowstone at Tower Junction will be christened with an official name or will simply be known as Yellowstone River Bridge. May I suggest bringing back Baronett Bridge? But that probably won’t fly, as there is already a Barronette Peak near Cooke City, named in 1878 after our early bridge-builder. In any case, I can’t wait to walk across it this summer.

Lisa Vandenbos has a spot in her heart for all things French, and for Yellowstone. She was excited to learn about a guy named Baronett(e) in Yellowstone. Turns out he was Scottish - c’est la vie!

*Yellowstone Jack, The Life and Times of Legendary Pioneer Jack Baronett by Robert V. Goss gives a well-documented history of the Yellowstone area as it was explored and became a tourist attraction. Robert Goss has a good handle on local history having dedicated over thirty-five years to working in and around Yellowstone National Park while living in Gardiner, Montana. Additionally, he served as purchase agent for an underground gold mine at Jardine, Montana, formerly known as Bear Gulch. With this experience, he became familiar with the local mining history, as well as the early chronicles of the Cooke City environs. Goss has self-published seven books that primarily focus on the early concessioners and pioneers. He also authored or co-authored twenty-three articles featured in Yellowstone History Journal, Yellowstone Science, Annals of Wyoming, Motor Coach Age, Points West, Montana Pioneer, and other publications. Robert Goss’s wonderful Yellowstone history website is called GeyserBob.com.