(VALDEZ, Alaska) –The Richardson Highway remains closed from milepost 12-18 until further notice. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) crews successfully completed additional avalanche mitigation and debris removal today on the Richardson Highway from milepost 18-42 following multiple avalanches Jan. 24. The highway is now open to all motorists north of milepost 18.

ADOT&PF continues to monitor Keystone Canyon. Activity in this area includes avalanche control from the air and ground, monitoring the level of the water behind the avalanche dam, which continues to recede, and monitoring the stability of the snow to determine when avalanche excavation can safely be performed.

The department will continue to post additional updates, press releases, images and video online at: dot.alaska.gov/richardsonavalanche.

For further details and updates on road conditions, please visit 511.alaska.gov, dial 5-1-1, or check for 511 updates on Facebook and Twitter. ADOT&PF reminds drivers to exercise extreme caution if traveling through mountain passes in this region as there is an increased possibility for more avalanches to occur and to be aware of flaggers and heavy equipment in the roadway.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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