Mudslide triggers one-lane closures on Parks Hwy near MP 212

A mudslide struck the Parks Highway near mile marker 212 Monday, forcing one-lane traffic control in both directions, according to Alaska 511.

Cleanup is underway. Drivers heading between Anchorage and Fairbanks, or accessing Denali-area communities, should expect delays and use caution through the area. Alaska 511 lists the planned end of the disruption as 20:00 UTC (noon Alaska Daylight Time) on Monday, June 29.

The Only Road Between Anchorage and Fairbanks

Mile marker 212 falls within the Cantwell-to-Healy corridor, the only highway connection between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has documented that landslides along this segment are concentrated on steep cut slopes in the Nenana Canyon area. "Landslides are present along the Parks Highway and are predominately located along the steep cut slopes of the Nenana Canyon segment," DOT&PF said in a corridor planning study. "These slopes experience ongoing sloughing and small slides, which deposit material within the highway right-of-way."

A DOT&PF corridor planning study identified the need for proactive slope stabilization and reconstruction along the segment, noting that recurring slides deposit material within the highway right-of-way. Motorists can check current conditions at Alaska 511 before traveling the corridor.