Yosemite to close roads and parking area for construction

Several roads and a day-use parking area will be closed in Yosemite Valley beginning Sept. 5 due to construction projects, the park said.

The Village day-use parking area, or Camp 6, will close Monday while construction crews work to improve parking and traffic. The park said visitors are encouraged to park at the Yosemite Falls parking area and Half Dome Village until it reopens in the winter.

The park said beginning Tuesday, Sentinel Drive at the Sentinel parking area will be closed and Northside Drive and Southside Drive will become two-way roads at the El Capitan Crossover.

Tour buses, RVs and all oversized vehicles will be asked to park at the day use area west of Yosemite Lodge, the park said. Visitors are urged to use the free park shuttle as well as the Yosemite Regional Transportation System to get into Yosemite Valley.

The park said the projects will reduce congestion, eliminate hazardous conditions for pedestrians, reduce the footprint of the parking area and allow restoration of 1.2 acres of wetland habitat near the Merced River.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Yosemite to close roads and parking area for construction."