A portion of Denali National Park and Preserve’s road is expected to open Tuesday after being closed by a mudslide for over a week.
According to park officials, a mudslide 100 feet wide and ten feet deep covered the road west of the Eielson Visitor Center on July 30th. Some park staff, guests, and workers were marooned for one night behind the mudslide, but were able to get out after crews cleared one lane on the 31st. After the road reopens, park officials urge motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians to cross the area with caution and to not linger in the area of the mudslide.
Last month’s mudslide came after near-record precipitation in the area. While rain is expected to continue, park managers are not alarmed by the amounts forecasted, according to Denali National Park spokeswoman Kathleen Kelly.
Park geologist Denny Capps says that melting permafrost and increasingly intense weather events mean that events like the July 30th mudslide could be more common.
