State urges drivers to avoid Parks Highway from Talkeetna to Cantwell

The Alaska Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay off the Parks Highway between Talkeetna and Cantwell unless they must travel. Snow and ice have made the 111-mile stretch, from milepost 99 to milepost 210, dangerous to drive.

The department issued the warning through Alaska 511 Saturday night. It is set to expire at 8:32 pm Sunday and covers the Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks and Mat-Su regions.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Southern Denali Borough, including Cantwell and parts of the Parks Highway, through 7 am Sunday. Forecasters called for up to 8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 35 mph, strong enough to blow snow across the road. They described it as an early-season storm affecting travel from Saturday night into Sunday.

State crews plow the Cantwell-area corridor once at least 2 inches of snow fall and apply sand as needed, according to a state Parks Highway Visioning Document. The Weather Service advises drivers who must be on the road to slow down and use caution. Current conditions are posted on Alaska 511.