| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 24, 2020 CONTACT: Danielle Tessen, (907)451-5311, danielle.tessen@alaska.gov DOT&PF to end seasonal maintenance in October Maintenance will end Oct. 1 on the Denali Highway, McCarthy Road and Eureka/Rampart Road; Oct. 15 on the Taylor Highway (FAIRBANKS, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) will end seasonal maintenance, including snow and ice removal, on the Denali Highway, Taylor Highway, McCarthy Road, and the Eureka/Rampart Road in October. DOT&PF does not maintain these highways through the winter. The department encourages drivers to remember that travel on a non-maintained highway during the winter is extremely risky. Denali Highway: Runs from the Cantwell junction on the Parks Highway to the Paxson Lodge on the Richardson Highway. Maintenance will end Oct. 1. Crews will begin opening the 135-mile Denali Highway in late April. Eight personnel will work about three weeks to open the road from both sides; the road is usually open by May 15. Taylor Highway: Runs from the Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway to Eagle. Maintenance will end Oct. 15 and will resume in early April. In March, a seven-person maintenance crew will begin plowing snow and ice to re-open the 160-mile road over about a four-week period. The border crossing on the Top of The World Highway closed earlier this month and will remain closed until mid-May. McCarthy Road: Runs from the Edgerton Highway in Chitina to McCarthy. Regular maintenance will end Oct. 1 and will resume in the spring. The McCarthy Road may be plowed periodically through the winter so crews can clear the McCarthy runway. Eureka/Rampart Road: Runs from the Elliott Highway to Rampart. Maintenance will end Oct. 1. The road will be opened in early spring in coordination with the City of Rampart, enabling freight to be transported to Rampart while the road is still frozen. Drivers can check road conditions at 511.alaska.gov or by dialing 511. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 239 airports, 10 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 731 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.” |
