According to the UK's Daily Mail on October 26, a massive landslide occurred on October 24 local time in Denali National Park, Alaska, USA, with rocks and soil cascading down like rain onto the highway below. Now, park road maintenance crews are taking advantage of unusually mild weather conditions to work overtime, aiming to clear the road before next spring.
The landslide originated from a height of 500 feet (approximately 152.4 meters) above the road surface, with debris consisting of rocks and soil accumulating up to 35 feet (about 11.6 meters) high, totaling 30,000 cubic yards (approximately 22,900 cubic meters). Currently, around 37 miles (about 59.5 kilometers) of the road have been closed, and no casualties have been reported. However, as hikers and cyclists can still use the highway, park officials have ordered visitors to stay away from the work zones.
Normally, park staff would immediately begin clearing such an extensive road after a landslide. If not addressed promptly, damaged roads and unstable terrain could impact visitors arriving the following summer. Any road damage is usually repaired quickly. On this matter, park spokesperson Kris Fister stated that whether the road can be cleared on schedule depends on the situation, as they simply don’t know yet.