The Sterling Highway partially reopened Monday afternoon while crews continued to repair damage caused by a landslide near Cooper Landing over the weekend.
The highway closed early Sunday at Mile 50 when a landslide pushed debris across both lanes of the road. Crews worked Sunday and into Monday morning to clear the debris, although continued rain slowed the efforts, the Department of Transportation wrote on Facebook.
Traffic was flagged through one lane Monday afternoon. Transportation department spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy said full repairs and cleanup may take two to three days and drivers should expect delays while the work continues.
1 p.m. SterlingHighway MP 50 UPDATE: The highway is open to one lane traffic, under flagged control. Guardrail repairs and clearing are on going, so please expect waits of up to an hour.
Posted by Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities on Monday, November 1, 2021
The steep area along the roadway was still sloughing on Monday, McCarthy said, and officials are watching for any signs of additional landslide danger. There have been two other landslides along this section of road in the past, McCarthy said.
The storm also caused landslides on the Seward Highway at Mile 21 near Crown Point and Mile 45 before the exit to the Sterling Highway, McCarthy said. The landslides did not cover the entire roadway and crews were able to clear debris relatively quickly, she said.