Temporary repairs have been completed, allowing Firehole Lake Drive in Yellowstone National Park to open to travel.
The 3.3 mile scenic loop drive is located off the park’s Grand Loop Road, halfway between Old Faithful and Madison Junction.
This side road travels through an active thermal area with normally high ground temperatures. The addition of high air temperatures last week resulted in damage to the blacktop surface.
Park road crews removed some damaged sections of pavement and used a mixture of sand and lime to soak up some of the thick oil which had bubbled to the surface of the roadway. These actions have successfully mitigated most of the impacts, allowing the road to reopen to traffic.
There is no indication of increased hydrothermal activity in the area.
Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.