Road closures, gas leak calls, railroad on track: A look at Monday’s earthquake recovery progress

Anchorage is still in a state of civil emergency in the aftermath of Friday’s 7.0, and will remain that way until Tuesday night unless the Anchorage Assembly votes to extend the declaration.

In the meantime, infrastructure repairs are continuing throughout Southcentral Alaska as agencies work to get public services back online. Here’s where things stand.

Road and lane closures

• The Minnesota Drive northbound ramp to International Airport Road is closed to traffic.

• One lane is open on the Seward Highway between the Tudor Road and 36th Avenue ramp. The left two lanes are closed. DOT advises commuters to avoid this area.

• The Eagle River Loop Road Bridge, or the Briggs Bridge, is closed as crews work to remove a compromised pedestrian tunnel nearby. The bridge has been inspected and has no structural concerns, the Alaska Department of Transportation said.

• Two lanes are open to traffic on the Glenn Highway Northbound Eagle River Bridge. The far left lane remains closed there. Expect speed reductions.

• On the Glenn Highway near Mirror Lake, between miles 23 and 25, southbound and northbound traffic can expect one-lane detours. Plan on substantial delays.

• Approach is open to one lane on the Glenn Highway Northbound Palmer Flyover.

• On the Seward Highway between miles 114 and 104, rockfall is still an ongoing issue because of continuing aftershocks, DOT said. The transportation department advises drivers not to travel or stop there. The area near Mile 109 is especially active, and the department asks people not to gather water from the pipe there.

Gas

Enstar Natural Gas has, for the most part, cleared out its queue of gas leak calls, spokeswoman Lindsay Hobson said Monday afternoon. As of Monday morning, the company had 15 remaining “no gas” calls from residents who wanted to check for leaks after turning off their own gas lines as a precaution. This is down from 1,400 total calls received throughout the weekend, Hobson said.

[Support local journalism in Alaska. Subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News / adn.com]

People Mover

Anchorage’s People Mover bus system resumed charging its usual fare Monday after a weekend of free bus rides. All routes are normal except for a detour on Route 20 at Third Avenue near the Anchorage Correctional Complex, the transportation department said.

Health care

Providence Alaska Medical Center, Alaska Regional Hospital, Alaska Native Medical Center and Mat-Su Regional Medical Center have all resumed normal operations, the hospitals confirmed Monday. At Alaska Native Medical Center, all clinics in the Healthy Communities Building are being temporarily housed in the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center on Diplomacy Drive.

Trash and recycling

Free residential trash drop-off will remain available through Saturday at the Anchorage Regional Landfill and the Central Transfer Station from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Girdwood Transfer Station also reopened Monday, but users will be charged regular disposal fees there.

Solid Waste Services resumed its usual trash and recycling collection Monday. Those with extra trash may leave bags next to their roll carts, and collectors will pick up those bags at no additional cost, the department said.

The Anchorage Recycling Center is open and accepting all recyclables. Total Reclaim is also open and accepting electronics recycling, including televisions.

Alaska Railroad

Repairs continued through Monday on the Alaska Railroad running north between Anchorage to Fairbanks. Tim Sullivan, a spokesman for the railroad, said he expects the first freight train to head north to Fairbanks at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

Parking downtown

EasyPark, the parking services agency operated by the Anchorage Community Development Authority, will offer free parking in all its downtown parking garages and lots through Friday. The parking garages, including the Transit Center, have been inspected and are safe to use, the agency said.

Drivers will still need to pay for street parking. Street parking enforcement will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday.