Up to 3 million pounds of rock will be blasted from a Seward Highway cliff Friday

The Alaska Department of Transportation plans to blast 2 million to 3 million pounds of rock from a cliff along the Seward Highway on Friday morning.

The highway will be closed for at least four hours for the blast and cleanup starting at 9 a.m. south of Beluga Point at Mile 108, the department said in a Facebook post.

Crews have been working between miles 108 and 110 the last few weeks as part of an emergency rockfall mitigation effort spurred by landslides in December, said department spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy.

Crews have been adding wire mesh or bolts to secure weak areas of rock and removing other portions of rock. McCarthy said the Seward Highway was down to one lane at Mile 108 on Thursday.

The rock mass to be blasted has shifted from the surrounding cliff and would be dangerous for drivers and could damage the highway if it were to fall naturally. McCarthy said two contractors will be on site to assist with the blasting Friday, and equipment will be staged to remove the fallen rock as quickly as possible. A blast mat will be placed on the roadway to protect it.

Drivers should expect lengthy delays even once the highway reopens because crews will be working to clear debris.

Crews will remain in the area to continue work on the emergency mitigation project until about mid-April.