DOT says crews continue working around the clock to clear roads after Anchorage’s first snowstorm

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Now that Anchorage’s first winter storm is behind us, state and city crews now look to clear roads and neighborhoods as quickly as possible.

After the city saw between six to eight inches of snow, there’s plenty of work still left to do, but according to Alaska’s Department of Transportation Operations Manager Justin Shelby, with warmer weather in the forecast, most of what’s left will likely turn into slush before long.

“A little bit easier for us to deal with from a plowing standpoint, but definitely still a concern for drivers, that’ll lead to slick conditions and definitely reach caution,” Shelby said. “Conditions are slick right now, and it looks like it’s going to be that way for the near future as well.”

With snowfall peaking around midnight, Shelby said his crews have been working around the clock to address what are referred to as Priority One roadways, which are mostly now open.

Priority One roads consist of highways such as the Glenn Highway, Seward Highway and Minnesota Drive.

By late Tuesday morning, Shelby said crews were on Priority Two roads, which consist of major arterials throughout Anchorage like Tudor Road, Muldoon Road, Northern Lights Boulevard, Benson Boulevard, Dimond Boulevard and Dowling Road.

Shelby said he expects crews to move onto Priority Three by Tuesday evening, which are local major roads such as Abbott Road and O’Malley Road.

“Our operators are out there doing their best to address intersections, ramps and bridges and other areas that are prone to icing, but definitely urge drivers to be cautious,” Shelby said. “Drive for conditions, especially make sure you’re maintaining a safe speed and plenty of distance between you and other drivers.”

Within the Anchorage area alone, Shelby said the state has well over 1,000 lane miles of roadways to oversee. Part of that he says is due to high-capacity roadways consisting of three to four lanes, which adds up.

With the state covering so many roads, it can be confusing to know exactly which roads the city is responsible for.

Shelby said that generally speaking, the city oversees roads within most neighborhoods.

To stay up to date on state priority roads, visit dot.alaska.gov/stwdmno/wintermap/ and Anchorage’s street maintenance webpage is the best resource for municipality progress. As for the best resource for road conditions, refer to 511.alaska.gov.

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