AVALANCHE UPDATE 3:15 PM
According to the Alaska Department of Transportation, the Sterling and Seward Highways are open in all directions. Crews continue to monitor the area and continue cleanup as needed.
AVALANCHE UPDATE 2:35 PM
***Seward Hwy open to Sterling Hwy–still closed on Seward Hwy, north of the WYE***
– All lanes clear WESTBOUND at the wye BETWEEN SEWARD AND SOLDOTNA
– All lanes still closed NORTHBOUND at the wye BETWEEN ANCHORAGE AND SOLDOTNA
Due to a large avalanche, the highway is closed at the Sterling and Seward Hwy intersection. DOT is currently on scene and have placed the avalanche gates down just north of the WYE. Updates to follow.
Original Post:
A large avalanche has created an impasse at the Sterling/Seward WYE. Due to the impasse, both highways are closed to all traffic at the intersection and beyond.
The Department of Transportation is currently on the scene and the avalanche gates just North of the WYE have been lowered.
Avalanche debris is on the roadway on the Seward Hwy in both directions from mile marker 36 near the Tern Lake Inn to mile marker 40 North of the Devil’s Creek Trailhead parking turnout.
“We don’t have an update on the time frame yet. The debris field is about 3 feet deep and about 400 feet long, covering the width of the highway,” said Justin Shelby, DOT Central Region Administrative Operations Manager. “We don’t have a lot of resources on the South side of the debris field, so we’re currently mobilizing howitzers to get down there to make the area safe. For crews to work. So once that happens, we’ll be able to start clearing efforts, but we don’t, we don’t have a time frame on that yet.”
A recent post by DOT officials says that while an approximate estimate on when the debris will be cleared is “unknown at this time, [travelers should] anticipate closure will be more than 8 hours.”
Refresh for updates as they come in, or check with 511.alaska.gov.
