Alaska News

Photos: Massive avalanches close Richardson Highway

The city of Valdez remained shut off from Alaska's road system Monday morning in the aftermath of a series of avalanches that slid through Thompson Pass and Keystone Canyon beginning on Friday, north of the community that sits on the shores of Prince William Sound in Southcentral Alaska.

The Richardson Highway remained closed from mile 12 to 42, and Alaska Department of Transportation officials said during a Monday press conference that there was no clear timeline for when the road might reopen.

"This is really an extraordinary event," said Mike Coffey, DOT statewide maintenance engineer.

While the area at the 16 mile mark of Richardson Highway in Keystone Canyon -- aptly nicknamed "snow slide path" -- is prone to avalanches, DOT has "probably never seen" so much snow and debris impacting the roadway, Coffey said.

Complicating the situation is a lake that was created when avalanches dammed the Lowe River over the weekend. The river was first dammed by a natural avalanche, Coffey said, and a second avalanche that was triggered by DOT blasting further compounded the dam.

Crews are unable to start clearing the road from the north until water drains from the roadway. They are likewise barred from clearing from the south of the road, downhill from the lake, because flooding dangers could put crews in harm's way if the dam ruptured.

There's "no safe way to relieve this water," said Jason Sakalaskas, northern region maintenance engineer with DOT.

READ MORE: Water complicates cleanup as avalanches continue blocking road to Valdez

Contact Laurel Andrews at laurel(at)alaskadispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter @Laurel_Andrews

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