Road closures remain in effect the day after Alaska’s 7.0 earthquake

Check advisories before you travel: most roads are closed today and nonessential trips should be postponed. The 7.0 earthquake caused damage to a wide stretch of roadway, with asphalt cracking and sections left damaged. Local crews are working around the clock, and you should expect ongoing updates from accuweather and state emergency officials as assessments continue.

Major corridors near coastal communities show a combination of closed lanes, detours, and temporary barriers as crews clear debris and as some sections finished temporary repairs. Left lanes are being restored gradually as asphalt patches cure, traffic signals come back online, and heavier vehicles are rerouted to safer routes.

Today, plan for longer travel times and verify current status on your local transportation site or the 511 system; drive with caution, yield to any emergency responders, and avoid passing through blocked sections. Even in most major corridors, closures persist. If you must travel, choose a direct, well-marked detour and allocate extra time for roadwork along the stretch.

For residents who rely on daily routes, coordinate with neighbors for safe pickup points and stay close to communities while road conditions improve. Damage assessments continue today, and while some minor segments may reopen soon, most major corridors will require sustained closures until engineers complete full inspections and repairs.

Road Closures and Recovery in Alaska After the 2018 Mw 7.0 Earthquake

Check road statuses before you travel. Use accuweather updates and Alaska DOT alerts to see which road segments are closed or restored. Plan detours around southcentral corridors, including routes toward anchorages and seward, and pack emergency gear for winter conditions. That approach reduces outages and keeps you off a risky stretch.

By Saturday, crews cleared the most critical debris along several key routes, while some roads remained left closed to allow inspections of the next stretch.

On Wednesday, repairs progressed and more sites were surveyed. The total area of disruption across southcentral Alaska remained significant, but several routes were restored and traffic began moving again. Joling teams worked to stabilize slopes and clear debris piles.

Stay informed with accuweather and official updates about outages and reroutes. For trips to seward or anchorages, plan around known debris and focus on the main road network first; winter conditions require slower speeds and extra time. This guidance helps you protect them on the road.

Current road closures: routes still shut and reopening timelines

Plan ahead before departure: check the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) feeds and accuweather updates for the latest closures, conditions, and expected reopening timelines.

Much of the roadway through the area remains damaged after the earthquakes, with sections buckled, culverts displaced, and rock slides reported along routes through anchorages and nearby communities.

People planning trips should expect detours and delays, as cold temperatures and wind slow repairs.

A combination of engineering assessments, weather conditions, and limited equipment is shaping the reopening timeline.

Several sites in the anchorages area have been repaired, while others remain closed; some routes reopened in segments as crews complete safety checks during daylight.

Reported inches of ground movement appeared in multiple spots, and authorities advise avoiding the most affected corridors to reduce risk. News outlets and accuweather provide ongoing updates.

To stay informed, follow DOT&PF alerts, local news sites, and be prepared for changes in conditions during the next 24 to 48 hours.

Damage claims breakdown: types of damage and typical filing patterns

Begin filing by prioritizing three categories: damaged buildings (and plants), road and roadway infrastructure, and municipal utilities; set a total damage estimate and attach site-area maps before submission.

1. Buildings and facilities
   • Definition: damaged or significant damage to building envelopes, frames, interiors, and critical non-structural components.
   • Documentation tips: provide photos from photodan, along with before/after context; mark closed areas and access constraints; include weather context such as cold days that affected site visits.
   • Filing pattern: most claims in this category reflect direct structural harm; urban and rural sites differ in review speed; wednesday submissions often reflect confirmed assessments, while saturday bursts align with field checkouts. In alaska, this pattern meaningfully shapes early claim totals.
2. Roadway and highway infrastructure
   • Definition: damaged road surfaces, cracks, potholes, guardrails, bridges, and traffic closures; highlight the Glenn Highway (glenn) and other corridors.
   • Documentation: map the area between damaged segments; document detours and closure status; attach geo-tagged photos and lane counts.
   • Filing pattern: most road/highway claims track closures and repair cost estimates; during the first 72 hours after the earthquake, filings cluster near the airport and along busy corridors; between urban centers and more distant sites, the pace varies and total demand can shift, with closed sections driving higher totals.
3. Utilities and municipal facilities
   • Definition: damaged water and sewer lines, electrical substations, municipal buildings, and emergency services sites.
   • Documentation: outage logs, service restoration timelines, and asset condition photos; include shutoff notices where available.
   • Patterns: municipal and state coordination often determines the overall number of claims; such coordination affects processing timing across alaska and alaska’s rural zones; meaning the municipal impact often drives a significant portion of total claims.
4. Agricultural and industrial sites
   • Definition: damaged plants, greenhouses, processing plants, and related storage facilities.
   • Documentation: inventory losses, downtime metrics, and storage condition photos; include weather-related factors if they contributed to damage.
   • Patterns: in alaskas rural areas, farming and processing plants report losses early in the week, which can shift the total filing pace compared with urban damage.
5. Equipment and other assets
   • Definition: damaged machinery, vehicles, generators, and on-site equipment; attach serial numbers or IDs and repair quotes.
   • Documentation: asset lists with location and discovery date; include downtime and maintenance cost estimates.

Aid and funding: state vs. federal programs and projected totals

Target a two-track funding plan: quickly secure FEMA Public Assistance for major highway damages while using Alaska state disaster funds to cover the non-federal share and urgent repairs. This combination keeps critical routes open during winter weather and supports local economies.

Prioritize corridors: the stretch around the area serving key towns and rural communities, with focus on damaged off-ramps and major interchanges that drive commerce and supply lines. Reopening these links first minimizes outages and speeds relief to affected residents.

Projected totals: For a package covering multiple damaged segments, estimates range 60-90 million in eligible repair costs. Federal PA would cover about 75% of those costs, with the remaining 25% funded by the state and local partners. If additional federal programs such as hazard mitigation are included, total funding may rise by a modest portion, reflecting a comprehensive repair plan from from both sides.

Timeline and process: submit initial PA claims within 30 days; obligate funds within 90 days. Build a weather contingency of 10-15% to cover winter delays. Use photodan field records to speed up damage assessments and approvals, helping them transition quickly from damage notice to contracts and repairs.

Implementation details: repairs should reopen the major routes first, then address damaged off-ramps and local access within the affected area. Plan detours that keep traffic moving and reduce prolonged outages while crews work.

Coordination and accountability: a joint task force with Alaska DOT&PF, FEMA Region 10, and affected boroughs will track progress within dashboards; weekly briefings show outlays, outages remaining, and progress toward completion, ensuring the area stays informed during the rebuild.

This funding model delivers aid for the area quickly and reduces risk from winter weather while laying a path to repair and resilience.

Infrastructure focus: bridges, roads, and utilities prioritized for repair

Today, a triage plan directs resources to major bridges first, then critical road corridors, then utilities, to keep Alaska’s communities connected during winter conditions.

Alaskas field teams, with shannon leadership, coordinate across the anchorages area, Seward, and McCarthy corridors to align crews and share progress.

Shannon chairs the on-site coordination; coordination with shannon teams on the ground keeps the schedule aligned and the quality consistent across alaskas effort.

1. Bridge triage: according to the latest survey, inspect the top five spans carrying the most traffic in the anchorages area and along the Seward and McCarthy routes within 24 hours, shore where needed, and aim to have reopened any safe span today or tomorrow. Such targeted action minimizes risk and keeps essential freight moving.

2. Road recovery: prioritize asphalt repairs on high-traffic routes, stabilize slopes, and install temporary patches that can withstand cold and ice; finish first-pass repairs on critical road segments today, then expand to surrounding corridors to reduce detours for major cargo flows.

3. Utilities restoration: coordinate with power, water, and communications providers to clear rights-of-way, restore service to hospitals and shelters, and bring temporary power to key sites; with the goal of finishing the initial wave of repairs in the first week, progress should be visible on routes around anchorages area.

4. Public communication: publish a daily brief on which roads reopen, which closed routes remain, inches of snow or ice affecting work, and any afternoon detours; provide clear schedules so people can plan essential trips.

5. Long-term resilience: identify bridges and roads that require retrofits to withstand aftershocks and winter storms; design rapid-install solutions to speed completion and reduce downtime for communities in alaskas across the area.

In total, authorities have determined that about 60 miles of road and 15 major bridges require repair in the first month; finished sections will reopen sooner, while others will take longer. There are months of work ahead, with more than 200 people working daily. The focus remains on major routes and critical services to support residents in the anchorages area, Seward, and McCarthy, today more than yesterday, and with more progress than last winter.

Repair methods and milestones: how Alaska rebuilt quickly after the quake

Prioritize the most critical corridors and deploy rapid-response crews to begin repairs within hours after the earthquake. Crews focused on safety-first fixes, and officials reported early wins as lanes were kept open and traffic diverted to maintain access to southcentral alaska communities.

The joling from aftershocks kept teams vigilant while debris was cleared, shoulders stabilized, and exposed asphalt covered with temporary mats. A stretch of highway from Anchorage toward Wasilla received the first round of quick repairs, enabling through traffic while work continued on more damaged sections around the region. Many sites benefited from this approach, keeping most routes usable during the peak of the response.

Officials determined that a two-pronged strategy would move repairs faster: deploy rapid, temporary fixes to restore function, then implement durable, long-lasting upgrades. Crews installed asphalt overlays where pavement was fractured, reinforced shoulders to withstand future tremors, and used portable bridges where crossings were compromised. While these measures addressed immediate needs, they were coordinated with later, more permanent repairs to restore full capacity across the network without reopening unsafe sections.

Across southcentral alaska, destruction varied by site, but progress followed a clear sequence: temporary fixes to reopen the most important routes, followed by permanent repairs on heavily traveled segments, with dedicated crews finishing on the last remaining stretches. Officials reported that most of the major highways would be restored in multiple phases, with final finishes completed at key links by the end of the period. The work focused on keeping traffic moving, not just fixing potholes, and aimed to resume a standard, all-season service level as soon as possible.