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The Seward Highway between Bird Creek and Girdwood reopened Friday afternoon after an avalanche crossed the road early in the morning.
The highway reopened by 2:20 p.m. Friday, according to an Anchorage police alert. “It is very wet, slick and bumpy, so be prepared to go slow and bounce,” the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities said in a Facebook post notifying users of the highway’s reopening.
#SewardHighway AVALANCHE MITIGATION. Here's a nice video of some of the work going on at MP 90 to enjoy while we wait for the road to reopen. Mitigation crews are working hard to keep you safe! Check updates on 511. pic.twitter.com/uQxmK561RO
— Alaska DOT&PF (@AlaskaDOTPF) February 18, 2022
The avalanche left debris 10 to 15 feet deep on the road, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.
North of Anchorage, avalanche debris prompted a road closure on the Old Glenn Highway near Butte through at least Friday night.
⛔ #OldGlenn UPDATE 2/18/2022 - The road closure on the OLD GLENN HIGHWAY between MP 7.6 - 8.5 will last overnight as avalanche crews assess the safety of the area and decide if mitigation is needed before the slide can be cleared. pic.twitter.com/wBKhfRAL9l
— Alaska DOT&PF (@AlaskaDOTPF) February 18, 2022
More than 2,000 Matanuska Electric Association customers at many locations were without power Friday morning. By late Friday, MEA had restored power for almost all customers, according to the outage map.
Heavy, wet snow pushed tree limbs onto power lines, MEA said on Facebook.
Hatcher Pass Road has been closed beyond the Gold Mint Trailhead since Monday due to avalanche danger.