A  truck carrying chum salmon to a cannery in Juneau rolled Monday afternoon, spilling the fish across three of the highway's four lanes and backing up traffic for about 90 minutes. (Photo by Michael Penn, Juneau Empire)

A truck carrying chum salmon to a cannery in Juneau rolled Monday afternoon, spilling the fish across three of the highway's four lanes and backing up traffic for about 90 minutes. (Photo by Michael Penn, Juneau Empire)

Chum spill blocks Juneau roadway

  • By LISA PHU
  • Monday, July 25, 2016 10:05pm
  • News

A truck loaded with fish totes rolled over on Egan Drive in Juneau on Monday afternoon, spilling thousands of pounds of chum salmon onto the highway and blocking inbound traffic for almost three hours.

“It was a medium-duty commercial truck. It was carrying a load of salmon,” Juneau Police Department Lt. David Campbell said by phone Monday.

JPD got a report of the single vehicle rollover near the intersection of Egan Drive and Highland Drive close to Juneau-Douglas High School around 3:22 p.m. The truck was headed inbound toward town. JPD officers were on scene within three minutes, Campbell said.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“One person was in the truck — the driver. He was out of the truck and standing when we arrived,” he said.

The driver was transported by ambulance to Bartlett Regional Hospital.

A JPD Facebook post by Chief Bryce Johnson, who was on scene, said about 10,000 pounds of chum salmon were blocking the highway.

KTOO production manager Mikko Wilson, who was also on scene, tweeted out a higher figure of 16,000 pounds.

Campbell said both the driver and the truck were from out of state.

“I heard fish was headed downtown to one of the processors. I don’t want to name a processor at this time,” he said.

Photos of the accident show people in bibs, rubber gloves and hair protection throwing the spilled fish back into totes marked “Icy Strait.” Icy Strait Seafoods processes its fish at Taku Fisheries located downtown.

Representatives from Taku Fisheries and Icy Strait could not be reached by press time.

A tow truck arrived around 5:15 p.m., according to JPD.

After Capital City Fire/Rescue hosed down the area, inbound traffic on Egan, which had been closed since the incident, reopened around 6 p.m.

More in News

Member Tom Tougas, far right, speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Tourism Industry Working Group in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Tourism working group rejects bed tax, recommends seasonal sales tax adjustment

The document includes a section that says the borough could alternatively leave its tax structure exactly as it is.

The rescued sea otter pup looks at the camera in this undated picture, provided by the Alaska SeaLife Center. (Kaiti Grant/Alaska SeaLife Center)
Stranded otter pup rescued from Homer beach

She is estimated to be around 2 months old and was found alone by concerned beach walkers.

Kenai Peninsula College Director Cheryl Siemers speaks to graduates during the 55th commencement ceremony at Kachemak Bay Campus on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Kenai Peninsula College leadership sees temporary transitions

KPC Director Cheryl Siemers is serving as interim UAA chancellor, while former KBC director Reid Brewer fills in her role.

Ash-Lee Waddell (center) of Homer is one of six recipients of the 2025 First Lady’s Volunteer Award at the Governor’s Residence in Juneau, Alaska, on May 13, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor
First lady honors Alaska volunteers

Volunteers from Homer and Nikiski were recognized.

The front of the Kenai Police Department as seen on Dec. 10, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Middle schooler reported missing found after 24-hour search

The student was seen leaving Kenai Middle School at around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The Oceania Riviera stands out against a bluebird sky at the Homer Harbor on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Over 1200 passengers from aboard the boat explored Homer throughout the beautiful day. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer tourism season kicks off with arrival of cruise ships

The first cruise ship of the season arrived April 28 with 930 passengers.

tease
‘Tomorrow — remember you are still a learner’

Kachemak Bay Campus graduated 49 students during its 55th annual commencement hosted on May 7.

Mt. Redoubt rises above Cook Inlet and the Anchor River drainage as fireweed is in bloom, as seen from Diamond Ridge Road on Friday, July 22, 2022, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Native plants provide lifeline for local songbirds

Shorebird Festival talk highlights importance of native plants.

Sterling Elementary School students collect trash from the banks of the Kenai River near Bing’s Landing in Sterling, Alaska, during the 10th Annual Kenai River Spring Cleanup on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Cleaning up the mess that’s left behind

Students from six local schools combed for litter during the 10th Annual Kenai River Spring Cleanup.

Most Read