Whittier road likely to remain closed through weekend

In response to the extended closure, the Alaska Railroad Corp. announced that the emergency trains it has been running between Whittier and Anchorage will be free beginning today.

As plans moved into action Tuesday and the cleanup effort got under way, department crews, geologists and a contractor, Alaska Trailblazing, began removing the tons of rock -- some boulders are as large as construction vehicles -- that fell on the road Saturday night, DOT spokesman Rick Feller said.

"As we've hauled some rock, it has better exposed the picture to us and there's larger rubble and more of it than we initially thought, so it is going to take us more time," Feller said. "The best read that I have now would be no earlier than this weekend, and that's subject to further revision."

Blasting could be required to crush larger boulders as well as to negate the potential for further slides breaking loose from the newly exposed rock, Feller said.

Equipment was working at half- to three-quarters speed as clearing efforts commenced. It was not immediately clear where the rubble would be taken.

Feller said the DOT was expecting some road damage both from the slide itself and the cleanup effort, although it should not significantly delay reopening the road.

The slide erupted from a rock face cut in the late 1990s for the road to Whittier, and on Saturday night, an extensive area of the rock face collapsed, leaving a 300-foot pile of rubble up to 30 feet high on the road, which remains closed at the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center.

As a result, two Alaska Marine Highway System vessels -- the 235-foot Aurora and the 382-foot Kennicott -- that normally visit Whittier will not venture there until the road is cleared, DOT spokesman Roger Wetherell said. The vessels will continue running the other legs of their schedules, he said.

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is closed to road traffic but not trains -- the slide didn't cover the tracks -- and, beginning today, the Alaska Railroad is running twice-daily free emergency passenger service to Whittier until the road reopens.

"We want to make sure Whittier residents who have business commitments or personal business are able to get in and out," said Tim Thompson, railroad spokesman. "DOT is providing some funds to support the service."

Seating is limited -- each train has 78 -- and the railroad is required to maintain a manifest of passengers, so people must call in advance to get aboard, Thompson said. Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, he said.

The first train leaves Anchorage at 9 a.m. and arrives in Whittier at 11:15. It then leaves Whittier at 11:45 a.m. and arrives in Anchorage at 2 p.m. The second train leaves Anchorage at 2:30 p.m. and arrives in Whittier at 4:45. It then leaves Whittier at 5:15 p.m. and arrives in Anchorage at 7:30.

Call 1-907-265-2494 to reserve a seat.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.