Drivers were stuck for about two hours on the Glenn Highway near Chugiak and Eklutna on Friday after Anchorage police shut it down to deal with multiple car accidents.
At one point Friday morning, police said both northbound lanes were closed from Peters Creek to Eklutna due to hazardous road conditions. A police spokesperson said the fire department had also closed southbound lanes at one point.
“There is no alternate route so please avoid the area and detour back into Anchorage,” police said in an alert around 10:45 a.m.
Peters Creek is roughly 25 miles from downtown Anchorage.
Shortly after noon, police announced the highway had reopened, but cautioned drivers to expect delays with two out of four lanes closed.
Michelle Henderson said she was headed north Friday morning and waited in her car for about two hours during the closure near Eklutna. She said there was ice that was hard to see on parts of the road and frozen slush in the medians.
Henderson’s account fits with what other drivers reported on social media: multiple accidents in the area, and an extremely slick roadway.
Anchorage police said there were several collisions involving a total of roughly 17 vehicles. No major injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service warned that areas of dense fog and hazardous conditions would likely persist through the evening commute.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Jeremy Hsieh covers Anchorage with an emphasis on housing, homelessness, infrastructure and development. Reach him at jhsieh@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8428. Read more about Jeremy here.
