The Richardson Highway between Mile 19 and Mile 45 was closed because of the slide that let loose about 8:50 a.m. at Mile 38, about a mile north of the Tsina River Bridge, according to the Valdez Police Department. No vehicles were trapped in the avalanche, according to police.
The avalanche debris on the highway is about 100 feet wide and about 10 to 15 feet deep. Road crews were clearing the debris and conducting avalanche-control work, with the road not expected to reopen until about 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to police.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has issued several alerts today about difficult driving conditions along much of the Richardson Highway south of Paxson because of strong winds and drifting snow.
Avalanche danger in Chugach National Forest is high, with human-trigger slides very likely on steep slopes, because of the wind-blown snow, according to the Avalanche Information Center.
The National Weather Service, which issued a blizzard warning on the Kenai Peninsula and Turnagain Arm through the day, said snow and wind are expected to taper off this evening.
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