ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Officials say the only road to Valdez will remain closed until at least Tuesday because of avalanches.
Crews are working to remove debris from avalanches that struck the Richardson Highway on Friday and Saturday, burying it in snow and ice 30 to 40 feet deep in some places. The Alaska Department of Transportation called them some of the biggest avalanches ever seen in the Thompson Pass area.
Transportation officials earlier expected the road to open Monday, but pushed back the timeline. City leaders told residents to expect an even longer wait.
The 50-mile stretch outside Valdez between miles 12 and 64 is closed. It includes Keystone Canyon and the Alpine Woods subdivision.
The Anchorage Daily News reports (https://bit.ly/1aZ7k20 ) that crews spent Sunday dropping aerial explosives on chutes to try to avert additional slides.
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Information from: Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News, https://www.adn.com
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