Travelers to the Kenai Peninsula should plan for delays during weekdays along Turnagain Arm for the rest of the month. The Alaska Department of Transportation is conducting analysis of the rock face between miles 104 and 114 of the Seward Highway, and that requires bucket trucks, cherry-pickers, ladders and maybe even some rappelling.
In order to safely complete the field work, crews will be closing segments of the northbound lane, Monday through Thursday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. from today (Monday) through June 27. To facilitate tourist traffic, there will be no closures on any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
The field survey will help determine what combination of solutions to use to reduce rock fall hazards, including scaling, which is preemptively removing rock that is likely to fall, draped mesh fencing, rock bolts, and creating ditches for the debris.
Construction is anticipated in summer 2020 and is estimated to cost between $10 million and $20 million.
