Water is flowing across a section of the Richardson Highway south of Paxson. Department of Transportation northern region spokeswoman Meadow Bailey said flooding is an issue between mileposts 184 and 186.
”We don’t know what is causing this exactly,” Bailey said. “We don’t know if there’s been some change. It’s definitely an area where there are some small streams that flow off the hillside. So we don’t know if there’s been a diversion in those streams or there’s something that’s clogged. That’s what we’re investigating right now.”
Bailey said the road is passable.
”If you’re coming through here, you should expect there possibly will be lane restrictions and some delays because we have so much maintenance equipment in the area we’re working,” Bailey said. “We’re trying to thaw those pipes and we are trying to clear the water off the surface.”
Bailey noted that driving conditions have been sketchy along the section of Highway south of Paxson over the last two weeks.
”From ice to having extreme snowstorms to the avalanches,” Bailey said. “So crews have been working really hard, facing some unusual challenges.”
An avalanche briefly closed the Highway at mile 209 last week, and Bailey said a few smaller snow slides have come down since, following a several day storm.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
