Semi trailer rolled over on Portage Glacier Rd. near Portage Lake Monday.
Courtesy: Whittier Police
Semi trailer rolled over on Portage Glacier Rd. near Portage Lake Monday.
Courtesy: Whittier Police
Semi trailer rolled over on Portage Glacier Rd. near Portage Lake Monday.
Courtesy: Whittier Police
Cars wait for Portage Glacier Rd. to open Monday afternoon.
Nick Swann / KTVA
Whittier police vehicle blocked access to Portage Glacier Rd. Monday.
Nick Swann / KTVA
Last Updated: Monday, Dec. 28 at 4:25 p.m.
The Portage Glacier Road and the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel were reopened shortly before 4 p.m., according to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.
Both were closed for most of Monday morning and afternoon because of extremely high winds.
Original Story
Access to the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel into and out of Whittier remains closed until further notice due to high winds, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.
“The tunnel will remain closed until winds subside, and the road is cleared for traffic,” DOT wrote in the release Monday morning.
Additionally, Portage Glacier Rd. between the Seward Hwy. and the Whittier Access Rd. is closed, according to the Alaska 511 website.
Three semi trailers were blown off the road as a result of the high winds, which reached 90 mph Monday, according to Jill Reese with AKDOT.
One truck was blown off the road near the toll-booth entrance to the tunnel, one was blown off the road near the restrooms at Bear Valley and a third truck was blown over the guardrail near Portage Lake, according to officials.
Megan Peters, spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, confirmed that at least two semis had blown off the road, and added, “Both drivers appear to be okay.”
The one lane tunnel provides the only road access into and out of Whittier, a small community of roughly 200 people.
Motorists may call 511 to receive updates on the tunnel’s status.
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