Glenn Highway repairs underway in erosion-damaged stretch near Sutton

PALMER — State officials say crews are trying to complete repairs on the Glenn Highway by Wednesday after the Matanuska River undercut the roadway near Sutton, prompting emergency action.

The river, running high with snowmelt, is threatening the highway in the area of Mile 63 as well as another section about 13 miles away near King Mountain.

Crews worked through Saturday night and Sunday placing material to shore up the eroding section at Mile 63.4 north of Sutton, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The road was reopened to two lanes late Sunday but was down to one lane with a flagger on Monday, officials said.

The traffic pattern was necessary to give trucks room to work as they widen the embankment, according to Justin Shelby, the transportation department’s regional administrative operations manager.

The plan is for crews to install riprap, large rocks that safeguard the bank, on Tuesday, Shelby said.

Pruhs Corp. is the contractor doing the emergency repairs at both sections, he said. “The goal is to get both of those done ahead of the Fourth.”

Through the day Sunday, crews placed material off the north end of the damaged area to create a new embankment as they worked south to reestablish the shoulder, officials said.

Local residents had raised concerns about the rapid rate of erosion in the area but state officials last week said that section wasn’t as high a priority as the one by Kings Mountain, slated for emergency repairs this week. Officials said the erosion increased significantly Saturday, prompting the emergency work. The river eroded 50 feet of embankment in less than 48 hours, the final 10 feet in just three hours, they said.

The highway connects Anchorage and Mat-Su with Glennallen before ending at the Richardson Highway, which connects drivers to the Alaska Highway and Canada.

The erratic behavior of the glacial Matanuska River has prompted home buyouts and relocations for decades as government agencies try to move people away from its channels.