McCarthy Road closed near Chitina after partial collapse

Update: 4 hours ago Published: ten hours ago

McCarthy Road was closed Monday near its starting point in Chitina after part of the road collapsed, Alaska transportation officials said.

The Ministry of Transport and Public Facilities said in a social media post that the road was closed between mile markers 0 and 1 due to “significant subsidence of the roadway.” Maintenance crews noted the subsidence of the roadway Saturday morning, said John Perreault, public information officer for the department's northern region.

“This continued very quickly and a closure was necessary on Sunday evening,” Perreault said by email.

Crews were on scene Monday and the road was expected to open to one lane Monday evening for a few hours, according to an alert on Alaska 511. The department said it planned to open the road again for daytime travel from 9 a.m. 17 hours. According to the alert, as of Tuesday 1:30 p.m., drivers should expect extended delays while road repairs take place.

Drivers should check Alaska 511 for ongoing updates on road conditions, the department said.

The Ministry of Transportation is still assessing the cause of the road subsidence, Perreault said, but it is not a river overflow or landslide.

For now, he said equipment is underway to establish at least one lane of traffic. Perreault said options for a long-term solution won't be decided until the road is stabilized and the area is examined further.

The McCarthy gravel road extends about 60 miles from the town of Chitina to just outside the town of McCarthy, about 225 miles east of Anchorage.