A car drove off the Seward Highway near Girdwood into Turnagain Arm amid whiteout conditions Monday. No injuries were reported, according to Girdwood firefighters.
Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston said the crash happened shortly before 11:30 a.m., near Mile 98.5 of the highway.
“They drove over the railroad tracks into the water body,” Weston said.
According to Weston, Alaska Railroad personnel reported seeing the car resting on an ice ledge.
Firefighters and Anchorage police responded to the scene. Weston said the car’s occupants were able to safely exit the vehicle.
Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad declined to comment further on the wreck Monday afternoon.
Weston said the car crashed after fog along Turnagain Arm early Monday, with whiteout conditions still in effect when the vehicle left the highway.
Weston said the incident is a teaching moment for drivers traveling the Seward to check weather conditions along the arm. The conditions may vary sharply from those in Anchorage, which had clear skies Monday with an afternoon chance of snow.
She also urged motorists to carry emergency supplies and “be prepared for anything.”
“We’re usually in a totally different weather pattern,” she said.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.
The letter, from Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs Alex Meyer, underscores federal recognition of Alaska’s efforts to modernize its tax framework for liquefied natural gas (LNG) development and highlights the importance of these reforms to advancing American energy security and economic growth.
In the letter Meyer said, “Given the scale and complexity of AKLNG, a stable and competitive policy environment is critical to the project’s success. Clear and predictable tax policy will improve feasibility, attract private investment, and help secure final commitments. This approach promotes job creation, expanded economic activity, and durable public revenue.”
“Alaska has long been a cornerstone of America’s energy future, and this support from the White House affirms the importance of getting our LNG tax policy right,” said Governor Dunleavy. “HB 381 and SB 280 provide a clear, predictable, and competitive structure that will help unlock Alaska’s vast natural gas resources, create jobs, and deliver long-term benefits for our state and the nation.”
The volumetric LNG tax bills establish a straightforward tax system based on the volume of gas produced, offering greater certainty to investors and developers and ensuring Alaskans benefit from a secure, low-cost supply of energy.
Governor Dunleavy emphasized that alignment between state and federal leadership is critical to advancing major energy infrastructure projects like Alaska LNG.
“We appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the role Alaska can play in strengthening domestic energy production and supporting our allies abroad,” Dunleavy added.
The Governor continues to work with members of the Alaska Legislature, industry stakeholders, and federal partners to move these bills forward and position Alaska as a global leader in LNG development.
An Alaska woman is accusing the Alaska Department of Public Safety, two Alaska State Troopers and the A&E Television Network of compromising her privacy and safety as a confidential informant after they filmed an arrest without her consent.
The woman, identified in the filings as Jane Doe, says that she received death threats after she was a confidential informant whose information led to an arrest that was filmed and later aired on the Alaska State Troopers reality show.
Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Claire Stremple for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com.
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The Alaska Highway has been flooded just north of Beaver Creek in the Yukon.
Officials have closed the highway from the U.S. border to Canada’s Beaver Creek customs office as of Sunday afternoon.
“We have crews out there working on it,” said Julia Duchesne, an information officer with the government’s Emergency Co-ordination Centre. “I can’t speculate on how long the closure will last until we know more about the cause.”
Duchesne said there are a couple of different ways spring melt could cause water to pool on the road, like a ditch spilling over or a culvert washing out with spring melt.
“We do know that in April our hydrology team did identify that across the Yukon, steep streams that cross roads and highways are an area of elevated concern, what with the snowpack across the territory,” she said.
“The roads looked like they started shifting a bit,” said Chealsea Johnny, who works at the Beaver Creek visitor information centre. “There’s definitely going to be some tourists stuck for however long it takes for them to open it.”
For the most up to date information on road conditions, Duchesne encourages drivers to check 511yukon.ca. She says she understands the closure may be disruptive to travellers, but asks anyone who had planned on crossing to be patient.
“We do sometimes see people going through barricades or moving barricades,” she said. “It’s a bad idea, both for your own safety and the safety of crews who are trying to fix the problem.”
Territorial officials say an update on road conditions will be issued before 2 p.m. Monday.
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