Photos: Dalton Highway repairs underway as floodwaters recede

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The Dalton Highway seen from mile 394 on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The nearby Sag River has overflowed the road, cutting off the main supply route for the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.

Road crews began repairing the flood-battered Dalton Highway on Alaska's North Slope over the Memorial Day weekend, bringing hope to Deadhorse hotels and work camps forced to fly in supplies after spring melting ripped away portions of the road to some of the nation's largest oil fields.

State officials said Tuesday they had no idea when the northern end of the 415-mile gravel route to Prudhoe Bay, closed for eight days after severe flooding along its last 25 miles, would reopen.

But they were optimistic after waters fell sharply, allowing temporary repairs to be made to two damaged stretches at the road's end near Deadhorse, the staging site for giant Prudhoe Bay and other oil fields.

"We're working around the clock to get the road open to unrestricted travel," said Mike Coffey, director of maintenance and operations for the state Transportation Department.

Read more: Dalton Highway repairs underway after floodwaters drop