The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities are notifying the driving public of a closure that could impact the Wednesday commute.
There will be intermittent traffic delays on Wednesday, February 16th on the Seward Highway for Avalanche Hazard Reduction Work. The delays will take place near mileposts 44 and milepost 37 on the Seward Highway at Summit Lake and the Wye Junction. Motorists should expect delays of up to 45 minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
The DOT states that snow avalanche programs are designed to improve safety for highway users by reducing the avalanche hazard in areas susceptible to snow avalanches while concurrently minimizing avalanche related traffic delays and road closures.
Avalanches can’t be prevented in all avalanche paths that affect the highway, but the encounter risk can be reduced. To help forecast avalanche hazard and the necessity for temporary traffic delays for avalanche work, AKDOT&PF regularly monitor weather, terrain, and snowpack conditions. When conditions are appropriate, specially trained maintenance crews use military artillery and other methods to artificially trigger avalanches on the Seward Highway, Richardson Highway, and the Dalton Highway.
Common factors that increase avalanche hazard include large quantities of new snow or rain, strong winds, and rapid changes in temperatures. During the winter, most avalanches occur during snow/rain storms and within 24 hours following a storm.
Click here for more information. Additional road updates will be posted on the 511 system. Call them or log on to www.511.alaska.gov.