Rocks began sliding off Pillar Mountain between Piers 2 and 3 Monday afternoon, possibly driven by steady rain and winds gusting to 45 mph. Rezanof Drive West was closed for about two hours at midday, according to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Sharon Barrett.
“It was right around 12:30 we had a call from someone who had hit the rock,” she said. “They were headed out of town and the truck hit the rock as it was in the middle of the road, spun the truck around, but my understanding is there were no injuries, other than to the truck.”
Traffic on the east side was backed up nearly into downtown at times, and past Dead Man’s Curve on the airport side. Once traffic resumed, cars were initially let through just a few at a time in one direction only.
The hillside last unleashed a slide about a year ago, though Barrett says this time it wasn’t as big.
“There have not been that many this time. It’s mostly been small rock slides, a couple rocks every once in a while. It’s obviously an active slide area, and just maintain caution when driving through there.”
Barrett says DOT will likely respond as it did last year, and keep a lookout at “The Dip” until the slides abate.
Jay Barrett is the news director at KMXT in Kodiak.
