Conditions on the only road on or off the Kenai Peninsula went from bad to worse in the last 24 hours. Berms on the side of the road in Turnagain Pass are reported to be up to six-feet tall, and avalanche danger is also growing.
DOT Spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy called conditions through Turnagain Pass “intense,” and as challenging as they get:
“As you know, that (snow) fell within about 24 hours. It hit Turnagain Pass really hard. We actually brought down additional resources,” she said. “It’s an incredibly generous amount of snow, which I think, once things settle down, will be wonderful. But right now we are warning people about the conditions. They are among the worst you can possibly travel in, in terms of visibility, in terms of road surface, and in terms of the ability to turn off. We just don’t have any spot where a motorist can turn off because the berms are five or six feet high.”
She said avalanche danger is still being assessed.
“We’re really hoping go get a window, where perhaps,12 hours where we don’t have actual snowing, then we’ll be able to take a look and see and what we need to do there,” McCarthy said. “Although Mother Nature is not cooperating with us on that.”
And unless avalanches block the roads, McCarthy says the DOT will be working ‘round the clock to keep them open.
“We don’t close roads down because we want people to be able to get through if it’s an urgent matter,” she said “But we really are cautioning people. The National Weather Service warning is pretty significant. So we’re letting people know this is among the most difficult driving they will see.”
McCarthy suggested delaying travel plans if that is at all an option.
As far as number of accidents the current storm has caused, those figures are still being compiled by the Alaska State Troopers.
