One-lane traffic was moving in both directions on the Sterling Highway on Tuesday evening following a landslide caused by heavy rains Sunday.
Maintenance crews with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities continued clearing the roadway Tuesday. The highway was closed immediately following the landslide, which took place on a section of road between the Cooper Landing Museum Complex and the Cooper Creek Campground between Mileposts 49 and 51.
A single lane of traffic was open every other hour for 30 minutes in one direction and 30 minutes in the other direction, according to Alaska 511, a DOT&PF application that provides real-time traffic information for roads in Alaska. Alaska 511 said the work is anticipated to end on the evening of Nov. 3.
An update shared by the department on Monday showed maintenance teams working to replace a section of the highway guardrail that was swept downhill during the landslide.
Shannon McCarthy, a media liaison with DOT&PF, said Monday that the landslide covered at least 100 feet of the highway and was about 3 feet deep with mud, dirt and trees throughout. McCarthy said Monday afternoon that the slide area was still moving due to ongoing rain, which was also contributing to delays in work.
Alaska DOT&PF is sharing frequent updates about the status of the landslide on the department’s Facebook page.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
Cars wait while debris is cleared from a section of the Sterling Highway on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. A landslide on Sunday morning blocked both lanes of the highway, which had partially reopened Monday.(Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
