Landslide closes Halibut Point Road in Sitka

The noontime slide left people stranded on either side of Sitka’s single westbound highway. (Keri Paulo photo)

UPDATE – 6:30 p.m.

City officials now expect Halibut Point to be reopened by 8:30 p.m. this evening. Sitka community affairs director Maegan Bosak says that a couple of large trees remain across the road, and are going to require extra time to remove.

The Marine Highway has scheduled an additional run of the Fairweather to Sitka tomorrow (Tuesday 9-5-17) to accommodate passengers who were unable to get to the terminal due to today’s landslide. The schedule is as follows:

Arriving into Sitka at 12:30
Departing Sitka at 1 pm
Arriving into Juneau at 4:30

Road clearing is still in progress, according to the 6 p.m. tone-out from the Sitka Fire Department. Ferry passengers who opted not to wait with their cars have been shuttled into town aboard an Allen Marine catamaran.

UPDATE – 4:30 p.m.

Allen Marine will have a boat at the Old Sitka Dock at 5 p.m. today to shuttle anyone sheltering at the Sitka Sportsman’s Association or the Alaska Marine Highway terminal into town.

UPDATE – 2:45 p.m.

KCAW has been notified that the Electric Department will cut power at around 3 p.m. today,  from Granite Creek road north along Halibut Point Road, while crews remove landslide debris.

Alternate transportation arrangements are being made for cruise ship passengers who are trying to return to the Seven Seas Mariner moored at Old Sitka Docks. The ferry scheduled for this afternoon is not tide-dependent. City officials are working with the Marine Highway System to ensure that passengers make that boat.

City community affairs director Maegan Bosak says crews are working rapidly to clear this afternoon’s slide in the 4300 block of HPR, but she has no timeline for the work. The best guess at the moment is a couple of hours.

An Alaska Coach carrying passengers bound for the Seven Seas Mariner encounters the slide in the 4300-block of Halibut Point Road. At last word, alternate arrangements were being made to return passengers to their ship. (Cassie Mendoza photo)

UPDATE – 2:15 p.m.

Officials in Sitka have closed Halibut Point Road at the rec to assess a landslide which occurred in the 4300-block at around noon today (9-4-17).

No injuries or property damage have been reported as a result of the slide. Some residences in the vicinity of Valhalla Drive have been evacuated as a precaution.

KCAW has received unconfirmed reports that the slide is roughly the size of the one that destroyed the Department of Transportation maintenance building at the Old City Shops site in 2005.

The Seven Seas Mariner is currently at the Old Sitka Dock, and a state ferry is due to arrive later this afternoon. KCAW is awaiting word on whether passengers for either vessel can expect significant delays as a result of the slide.

Local authorities are in direct communication with KCAW. We’ll keep you posted as more information about this event becomes known.

Approximate location of the slide, which occurred at around noon today. (KCAW image)

UPDATE – 1:30 p.m. Monday, September 4

Officials in Sitka have closed Halibut Point Road at the rec to assess a landslide which occurred in the 4300-block at around noon today (9-4-17).

No injuries or property damage have been reported as a result of the slide. Some residences in the vicinity of Vallhalla Drive have been evacuated as a precaution.

Local authorities are in direct communication with KCAW. We’ll keep you posted as more information about this event becomes known.

UPDATE – 1:15 p.m. Monday, September 4

Authorities in Sitka have closed Halibut Point Road from the rec and beyond to assess a landslide that crossed the highway around noontime today (Monday 9-4-17).

There’s no word yet of any damage or injuries, or the extent of the slide. The Sitka Fire Department has been in direct contact with KCAW. We will update you as more information becomes available.