Bridger-Teton will chopper in bridge over Yellowstone River

The U.S. Forest Service has approved a plan to install a 172-foot-long steel bridge to span the Yellowstone River in a northwest Wyoming wilderness area.

The new bridge in the Teton Wilderness in the Bridger-Teton National Forest would replace another known locally as the Hawks Rest bridge, which is 57 years old.

District Ranger Todd Stiles tells the Jackson Hole News & Guide the current bridge is unsafe.

The bridge is considered a critical link along the most-used trail in the Teton Wilderness.

But critics say the new steel bridge will degrade the character of the wilderness. They proposed either replacing it with a packable bridge or having no bridge at all.

Officials hope the new bridge can be installed next year.