Landslide Closes Seward Highway Near Girdwood

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – The Seward Highway is closed at mile 105 due to a landslide. The landslide occurred this morning at 5:50 a.m. and is estimated to be 4 feet deep and 75 feet wide. Water, rock and other debris continues to fall. Crews are currently focused on stabilizing the hillside above the slide area so they can work safely. Equipment is staged near the landslide and will be ready to clear the road once the slope is stable. At this time there is no estimate of when the road will reopen, but it is expected to remain closed for at least several hours. Updated road conditions will be posted at 511.Alaska.Gov. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 242 airports, 10 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 720 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

Sunday Scenery

Girdwood, Alaska - about 40 miles ESE of Anchorage, on the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. Fantastic skiing and home of the Alyeska Resort.

Plane carrying 2 people lands on Seward Hwy near Girdwood

From Channel 2 News, Anchorage:

Viewer-submitted photo, at the linked article

A plane carrying two people landed on the Seward Highway near Girdwood Monday afternoon, causing the highway to be closed for about 15 minutes, Alaska State Troopers and Girdwood Fire Department officials told Channel 2 News.

Authorities were notified around 2:04 p.m. that a plane had landed on the Seward highway near mile 89.

"When we made it out there, the pilot and some bystanders were pushing the plane off the highway," Girdwood Fire Chief Will Day told Channel 2 News.

The highway was closed for about 15 minutes during this time, officials say.

The reason for the landing is unknown but both pilot and passenger are unhurt, officials say. 

• Copyright © 2015, KTUU-TV

Girdwood is the southern end of the Unified Municipality of Anchorage, which comprises some 1,955 square miles. It's about 40 miles east/southeast of the city of Anchorage, on the highway which wraps around the Turnagain Arm and then heads south toward Seward, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kenai, and Homer. That's for those of you have either have a map handy, or have traveled the Kenai Peninsula.

Either way, that right there is their Christmas miracle for this year. Some very fortunate folks!

Nice Day for a Drive

Yesterday morning, it occurred to us that we'd not driven Younger Daughter's car outside of town ... so, since she was working, we took a little trip.

Starting out sunny, heading ESE on the Seward Highway, along the Turnagain Arm - we ran into rain showers a few miles east of Anchorage

Looking SE toward the terminus of the Turnagain Arm, south of Girdwood

Rain & clouds over the Arm, in the Kenai Mountains

It was a good day for a drive. :)