Dalton Highway closed all day Thursday for avalanche work

Alaska DOT&PF closed the Dalton Highway in both directions Thursday for avalanche mitigation work near mile marker 242, cutting the only road connection between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. The closure began at 6 a.m. Thursday and was scheduled to remain active all day, with a planned reopening at midnight Friday, according to Alaska 511.

The closure blocked commercial trucking, fuel and supply deliveries, oilfield support traffic, tour buses, and independent Arctic travelers on the 414-mile corridor. Alaska 511 classified the event severity as minor. The traffic event system last updated the closure status at 2:58 p.m. UTC on June 11.

Avalanche conditions can persist into spring and early summer at high elevations such as Atigun Pass. DOT&PF has previously conducted avalanche hazard reduction missions in the vicinity of mileposts 241–247, using temporary traffic delays of up to 45 minutes while crews worked. The Dalton Highway is the only road connection between Interior Alaska and the Prudhoe Bay oilfields and North Slope industrial facilities.