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Beartooth Under Construction - 30 minute delays daytime, Closed 8PM-8AM

Pretty sure this is just east of "Top of The World" store they have been doing road construction for a few years. I had thought they were done, but I guess not. They have always been pretty accommodating to traffic. I have been through that construction every year since they started, 5-6 years ago, (maybe?), and never any long delays to get through. I wouldn't avoid the area just for the road construction.
 
We have encountered work up near the store on two trips in 2011and 2013 that I recall. Mud and melting snow... yeah!
Guessing one of those roads that is high maintenance due to terrain.
 
Maybe it has been longer, I don't remember, but we ride Beartooth and Chief Joseph every year.

The worst i have been through was one year west of Red Lodge they were doing road construction and about 15 bikes were with in a group. They were spreading gravel in preparation to lay down black top and they had us ride over it before it was compacted. One woman rider stopped and watched up all go through before she attempted it. It was some squirrelly stuff!
 
From the Powell Tribune:

"The collaborative effort on U.S. Highway 212 will allow the completion of the 420-foot, three-span Beartooth Ravine steel girder bridge, 20-foot-high mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls and roadwork and landscaping."
 
Scheduled completion date of September 9th, 2021 so this will be disruptive for two riding seasons. The road through Belfry is probably going to be busy for a couple of seasons.

DeVern
 
It will be interesting to see what part of the road they are "sanitizing" this time. I can't think of where they would need a bridge in that area. Wyoming seems to be on a push to straighten out all the curves they can. I few years ago they did a big project on Hwy 14 on the east side of the Big horns. Took out miles of curves and built a road straight on through. Same thing in the area east and west of Top of The world. Nice wide straight road. Great for Gramps and his fifth wheel, not as much fun for two wheels.

Ahh, I ran across this. It looks to be west of Top of the World by Beartooth lake. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/hhh.wy0518.photos.364258p/
 
It will be interesting to see what part of the road they are "sanitizing" this time. I can't think of where they would need a bridge in that area.

The article said over Beartooth Ravine. I could not locate that feature using Google Maps.
 
If you find the SW end of Beartooth Lake, and follow the highway a bit to the west I believe it is just one of the horse shoe bends back into the hill side they are taking out. I assume right here, about 4 miles west of Top of the World store. Beartooth ravine is where Beartooth creek flows, shown in the pic.

Beartooth.jpg
 
If I remember correctly that bridge is the sloping curved bridge with metal cattle guards at either end always ready to catch an unobservant rider out, especially one riding East to West where it is downhill and the first guard is a little bit obscured.
 
That curved bridge is west of there, closer to the intersection of 212 and 296. That bridge could go away! Come flying around there on a motorcycle, enjoying the road too much, and all of a sudden metal cattle guards! Fun stuff!
 
Which just incidentally reminds me, I have decided that they should put bullseye targets at the ends of guard rails. I just went past another one today; mile long straight stretch of highway; no curve nearby; 8 foot paved shoulder; guardrail smacked and the roadway was again adorned with "Guardrail Damage Ahead" signs. :scratch
 
Which just incidentally reminds me, I have decided that they should put bullseye targets at the ends of guard rails. I just went past another one today; mile long straight stretch of highway; no curve nearby; 8 foot paved shoulder; guardrail smacked and the roadway was again adorned with "Guardrail Damage Ahead" signs. :scratch

That sounds like exactly the kind of road segment where a driver would fall asleep from fatigue, boredom, or both. And additional rumble strips don’t seem to make much difference, either. Sometimes there’s only so much the state can do...
☹️

DeVern
 
Beartooth Pass opened for a brief time but is now closed again due to snow.

From MTDOT:

BEARTOOTH PASS IS COMPLETELY CLOSED ON MT-WY SIDES DUE TO VERY ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER OCCURRING ON THE PASS. THE PASS WILL BE CHECKED AGAIN SUN.MORN TO SEE IF IT CAN REOPEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY ON THE MT.SIDE. THIS STORM IS SUPPOSED TO LAST UNTIL MID-DAY SUNDAY. UPDATES WILL AGAIN BE ISSUED AS THEY OCCUR.
 
Snow, in Red Lodge in May? No big surprise! The pass is generally not open until late June, I think they shoot for the 3rd week in June, but it has been earlier and later. One year the pass was cleared out, then socked in again for weeks and open for traffic the first part of July.

A bunch of us go out there every year and have seen snow in Red Lodge in July. Another year we were riding up Beartoooth Pass and it started snowing pretty hard. The forecast on the pass said possible snow, but warmer and nice by noon. Many of us kept on going, riding in car tire tracks. 2-3 inches of snow in places. We got to the summit, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day.

If you ride in that area be prepared for temps into the 20's, to over 100F. We have seen all temps, sometimes on the same trip!
 
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