Over 70 crashes reported in Anchorage, including highway pileups

With snow creating slick roads and poor visibility, dozens of crashes were reported across Anchorage Friday, including pileups that closed the inbound Glenn and Seward highways.

At least three crashes, including one involving 15 vehicles, shut down the inbound lane of the Glenn Highway for most of Friday, the Anchorage Police Department reported.

At about 12:10 p.m. near Airport Heights, a two-car crash caused minor injuries, but then more vehicles got into fender-benders as drivers tried to avoid the crash, APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro said. Around 12:30 p.m., another crash near the Bragaw Street exit involved three vehicles, Castro said.

Those crashes were followed by a 15-vehicle crash on the inbound Glenn Highway near the McCarrey Street bridge, Castro said. Castro said a truck was involved and firefighters were working to free someone trapped in a car.

Meanwhile, the northbound lane of the Seward Highway was shut down near Dowling Road at about 1:20 p.m as police responded to a crash involving several vehicles. There were more crashes northbound on the Seward Highway between Dowling Road and Tudor Road, Castro said.

Since 10 a.m., there were 75 crashes, including 14 with injuries, Castro said. There were no life-threatening injuries, she said.

"Drivers should definitely put their headlights on" due to low visibility, Castro said.

Anchorage School District buses ran on schedule but were slightly delayed as traffic had slowed, said ASD spokeswoman Heidi Embley. No after-school activities were canceled, she said.

A school bus without students onboard was involved in a wreck earlier in the day, Embley said.

Friday morning's snow was initially expected to leave no accumulation in the Anchorage Bowl, but around noon the National Weather Service updated its forecast to 1 inch in some areas, with 2 inches in higher elevations.

Friday's snow stopped falling by mid-afternoon, but there's a chance the city may see some more on Saturday, as the forecast calls for snow mixed with rain.

Shortly before 8 p.m., Anchorage police reported that all crashes around town had been cleared and all roads were open. Collisions started to decrease during rush hour, Castro said.