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Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

THANE ROAD Avalanche Hazard Reduction
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Thane Road Avalanche Hazard Reduction and Closure Notices

January 26, 2024

Due to the long-duration heavy rain event forecasted by the National Weather Service, along with rising temperatures, there will be an increased avalanche hazard on Thane Road.

Thane Road is scheduled to close at the avalanche gates at 6 p.m. today, January 26, 2024. The closure will remain in effect until weather conditions allow for Avalanche Hazard Mitigation work or until the hazard naturally decreases. Conditions will continue to be monitored during the closure period.

Thane residents should be prepared for extended road closures. Please visit the CBJ emergency management site for personal and household preparedness details.

January 25, 2024

Thane Road is planned to reopen later this afternoon (Jan. 25) and will remain open for a 24 hour period. An official notice will be sent once the road is open. Due to forecasted weather conditions and subsequent high avalanche hazard, a complete closure of the road is likely over the upcoming weekend. Residents of Thane Road are strongly advised to take advantage of the 24-hour road opening to prepare for the anticipated weekend road closure. If a natural avalanche reaches the roadway, it is unlikely DOT&PF will be able to safely remove the avalanche debris until the hazard can be minimized from mitigation work, or once the hazard has decreased naturally.

January 24, 2024

10 a.m.: Thane Road will remain closed until avalanche hazard reduction and debris removal can be completed. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) will be conducting Avalanche Hazard Reduction above Thane Road on Thursday, January 25 at 11 a.m. (weather dependent).

January 23, 2024

This morning (Jan. 23), efforts are underway to reopen Thane Road, and Maintenance & Operations (M&O) crews, accompanied by a spotter, have been deployed to clear the roadway. The goal is to have the area cleared sometime today, dependent on crew availability. Following this, a closure is planned to commence at 4 p.m. and extend overnight. A reassessment will take place tomorrow morning, and residents will be notified to prepare for a potential multi-day closure. Stay tuned for updates on the situation.

January 22, 2024

Thane Road will be closed at the avalanche gates today, Monday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m. due to high avalanche hazard to the roadway. This emergency closure will be re-evaluated at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The avalanche hazard is expected to remain high the next few days. If a natural avalanche reaches the roadway, it is unlikely DOT&PF will be able to safely remove the avalanche debris until the hazard can be minimized from mitigation work or once the hazard has decreased naturally.

Thane residents should be prepared for extended road closures. For more information, visit the CBJ emergency management site for details about personal and household preparedness.

DOT&PF is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates when necessary.

January 16, 2024

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) will be conducting Avalanche Hazard Reduction above Thane Road on Tuesday, January 16, between noon and 2 p.m. (weather dependent). Thane Road will be closed at the avalanche gates during that time. The purpose of this mission is to remove accumulated snow and potentially reduce the risk of larger avalanches that could impact Thane Road. If an avalanche reaches the roadway, it is likely that an extended closure will be necessary to remove debris.

Here’s how DOT&PF will typically share information out to the Thane residents about potential road closures:

  1. Early notification typically uses the orange avalanche control signs on Thane Road.
    • If DOT&PF is planning an avalanche hazard reduction mission, we will try to have those signs updated as soon as we anticipate needing a mission.
    • So, the signs could be updated a day or two (as conditions allow) in advance of a mission.  
       
  2. The second notification goes out via a GovDelivery alert within 24 hours of a potential road closure.
    • Once the GovDelivery alert is sent, it is highly likely that a road closure/hazard reduction mission will occur.

By using the warning signs, DOT&PF can give Thane residents a heads up that a mission will likely occur. Once the GovDelivery alert is sent, a mission is planned and residents should expect a road closure.

Because the avalanche hazard mitigation work depend on changing snow conditions and weather, it’s possible that DOT&PF uses the signs or both signs and alerts, then calls off the mission.

DOT&PF recommends that all Thane residents sign up for GovDelivery alerts and share sign up info widely.

To subscribe to texts or emails about Thane Road avalanche hazard reduction work (including road closure notices):

Please contact DOT&PF with questions:

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 10 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 776 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to "Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure."