Main Street filled in, but repaving will have to wait for spring

The hole dug in Talkeetna’s Main Street to address a broken water pipe has been filled in, but repaving will not take place until warmer weather arrives.

Mat-Su Public Works Director Terry Dolan says a copper pipe near the intersection of Main Street and the Talkeetna Spur Road failed, causing water to pour out. Crews dug up a portion of the street to reach the pipe, which has now been repaired. Dolan says the cause of the pipe failure is not known at this time, but that the borough is having it analyzed.

Terry Dolan says repaving is not feasible in cold winter temperatures. Hot asphalt would cool and harden too quickly to be spread over the road, and plants that produce asphalt don’t operate in winter. Dolan says repaving will take place when materials become available this spring, and Main Street will look much as it did before the digging, only with a section of new asphalt.