Alaska News

All lanes of inbound Glenn Highway reopened after overpass damaged

All inbound lanes of the Glenn Highway at Eagle River were reopened late Sunday, bringing to an end to five days of traffic snarls and detours on the busiest highway in the state, the Alaska Department of Transportation said.

Damage to the highway overpass at South Eagle River had closed the southbound lanes since Wednesday.

[Anchorage-bound commuters endure epic traffic jam on detour around damaged Glenn Highway bridge]

An emergency construction contractor spent the weekend removing the broken girder, finishing early Sunday morning, said DOT spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy. Crews were also removing debris and disposing of the girder.

The highway was reopened at 10 p.m. Sunday.

The Artillery Road overpass remained closed for much of the day Sunday while new barrier rail and pavement markings were installed. It too will be fully open on Monday, McCarthy said.

"It should be relatively business as usual on Monday morning," McCarthy said. "As long as everyone uses their normal caution driving for conditions we should be pretty good."

The weekend work to the damaged overpass is an emergency response, she said. In the long term, DOT engineers will come up with a plan to repair the span that will be put out for a competitive bid, she said.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

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