KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
A section of Rezanof Drive between piers 2 and 3 is has been closed a reopened several times today due to severe rockslides. The Kodiak Police Department announced the closure just before 10 this morning. Around 12:45 the Department of Transportation started to allow limited traffic through the area. Only 45 minutes later the DOT again closed the road. Currently DOT officials are allowing controlled access through the area. Travelers should expect delays.
KMXT’s Jay Barrett was on the scene when one of the larger rockslides occurred.
— (Rock Update 1 2:35 “The dust that it’s stirred up right now. Huge boulders but a lot of loose gravel as well. I didn’t see anything make the water but there are huge rocks coming down. Traffic if backed up on the out of town side, the west side, including at least on school bus. Not much traffic on the town side trying to get out. I think everyone in town knows what’s going on. There looks like there could be much more gravel in this loose patch right up near the top that could come down at any time. I imagine they’re expecting it to. (listen to the story for more details.)
This morning only a four-foot wide boulder and some gravel cluttered the road. Kodiak Police Chief T.C. Kamai says a loader is on the scene to remove debris as DOT deems it safe enough to do so.
— (Rock Update 2 :22 “DOT had to bring in a loader which was busy on another job on the other side of town. So it took it a little bit to get where we needed it, but once it got there it was able to move the boulder out of the road relatively quickly
The closure means that residents trying to get to get to or from the airport or Coast Guard Base will have to wait. This morning 13 members of Kodiak High School’s baseball team were on their way to the airport for an 11:10 flight when they learned of the closure. Coach Rick Langfitt says the team waited for two hours before learning that Era wasn’t able to hold their flight any longer and had departed.
— (Rock Update 3 :50 “Our high school baseball team’s trying to get to the conference tournament in Kenai. (listen to the story for details).
KMXT’s Jay Barrett reports from the scene that traffic is still backed up to Dead Man’s Curve and that rocks and gravel were stilling falling from Pillar Mountain “like a river.”
