Breaking News Update: Glenn Highway open to both northbound and southbound traffic

Update: The Glenn Highway is open to both inbound and outbound traffic, as of 9 p.m., according to the Alaska Department of Transportation.

Southbound traffic on the Glenn Highway to Anchorage was closed for about four hours Friday night. Anchorage Police Department chief said in a press conference earlier Friday, APD closed southbound traffic to Anchorage to relieve the congestion of the northbound traffic from Anchorage to the Valley.

Southbound traffic on the Glenn Highway to Anchorage is temporarily closed.

“We’re going to temporarily shut down the traffic coming into town so we have all three lanes open going outbound. We want to make sure everyone that is here in town has an opportunity to get back to the Valley,” Doll said.

Doll said there are a number of diversions on the Glenn Highway due to damage sustained in multiple areas during the earthquake.

An estimated 10,000 Matanuska Electric Association members remain without power due to damaged infrastructure as of 4 p.m., according to a report from MEA officials.

“Crews continue making repairs to substations around our service area, but as we wrap those up we will need to begin working through the smaller issues throughout our system,” MEA officials said in an update on the association’s Facebook page.

This comes after the massive earthquake that rocked Southcentral Alaska Friday morning. According to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 hit at 8:29 a.m., with an origin 30 miles southwest of Palmer

According to MEA Public Relations Director Julie Estey, 46,000 members were without power as of 11:30 a.m. Friday. Of that total, 35,000 are in the Mat-Su Borough.

The Herning substation, which feeds downtown Wasilla, was back online as of 11:45 a.m.

The Mat-Su Borough School District has announced that most of the schools in the district will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Only Glacier view, Trapper Creek Elementary, Talkeetna Elementary, Susitna Valley High School, Willow Elementary and Beryozova will remain open, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. According to district officials, structural engineers were at local schools Friday morning to access any damage.

Several roads in Southcentral Alaska were damaged during the earthquake. On the Glenn Highway, traffic is being re-routed at multiple locations between the Valley and Anchorage. This includes a detour through Eagle River. In a update, DOT reported major damage to the off-ramp to Palmer at the Parks Highway and Glenn Highway interchange. Motorists are asked to use Trunk Road to access Palmer via the Parks Highway.

Among the roadways in the Valley damaged by earthquake is Vine Road in the Knik-Goose Bay area.

Matanuska Telephone Association did not report immediate major issues with its systems.

“Currently MTA is assessing any possible damage to our network and will make any necessary repairs when it’s safe for employees,” MTA Director of Corporate Communications Jackie Kenshalo said in an email Friday morning. “All systems indicate that MTA customers are able to access our Internet and landline network.”

The Mat-Su Borough School District schools began releasing students to parents or guardians in the hours following the earthquake.

“There will be no busses to deliver students home in the afternoon. All parents need to pick up children when able. Kids are warm and safe at school until parents arrive,” Mat-Su Borough School District Public Information Officer Jillian Morrissey said Friday at about 10:30 a.m.

Just before 11 a.m., school district officials announced on the department’s Facebook page that, “All MSB co-curricular activities and school related events are cancelled for today and through the weekend.”

Houston Middle School was evacuated, and students and staff were moved to Houston High School, according to a post on the school district’s Facebook page.

Palmer High School was evacuated after the fire alarm sounded because of the earthquake, but there was no fire in the building, PHS principal Paul Reid said. Reid said Palmer High closed early on Friday, and all of the students were out of the building by noon.

District officials said structural engineers were at schools Friday morning assessing potential damage to buildings.

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Director of Marketing and Public Relations Alan Craft reported only minor damage at the hospital.

“No injuries to staff, no injuries to patients,” Craft said. “All safe.”

Craft said the hospital is prepared for the potential of an influx of patients should that occur.

“We are fully operational. Nothing has happened that is impeding our ability to care for patients,” Craft said.

Craft said the Mat-Su Urgent Care centers in Palmer and Settlers Bay are also open, fully operational and accepting patients.

This is a developing story. Continue to see frontiersman.com for more.