Slick streets make for dicey commutes

MAT-SU — Borough and law enforcement officials are urging continued caution in the wake of freezing rain that created slick driving conditions for motorists Thursday. Rain fell overnight Wednesday across the Matanuska and Susitna valleys, but the roadways didn’t quite get bad enough to halt normal business.

“Troopers in the Mat-Su Valley have closed some roads this morning to deal with vehicles in the ditch and motor vehicle crashes. This is to ensure the safety of first responders as they are alongside the roadways dealing with injured people or investigating a crash. Please be patient as they attempt to prevent more mishaps on the roads,” Alaska State Troopers wrote in a notice to the public Thursday morning.

Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen reported that traffic was down to one lane for part of the morning at Parks Highway and Hyer Road. She said the Wasilla Police Department and AST responded to 19 traffic incidents between midnight and 9 a.m., Thursday.

Troopers urge continued caution in driving, including allowing extra travel time and additional space between vehicles.

West Lakes Fire Chief Bill Gamble said at close to 3 p.m. that he was hopeful a day that was relatively quiet despite the weather would stay that way.

“We’re still getting a little bit of that fine mist out here, but they put so much chemical and salt on the roads that it’s down to pavement,” he said. “It’s the side roads that are pretty scary right now.”

He said as temperatures drop in the evening, that could change.

“Just in case, we are shifting at the stations we have crews on until the roads are in the conditions that they should be,” he said.

Over at the Mat-Su Borough, the Public Works Department put out a notice over Facebook about ongoing work there to respond to the ice.

“All of our contractors are actively working slippery spots right now, like intersections and hills. They are using cutting plows and scrapers to remove and serrate the ice and then are spreading sand and what we call chips, essentially crushed rock, on any remaining patches of ice and packed snow,” Public Works Director Terry Dolan wrote in the notice.

Dolan also urges caution.

“Some roads are likely to be dangerous at times despite our best efforts,” he wrote.

The borough maintains a road hotline at which it takes tips about dangerous road conditions. To report a danger spot, call 745-9826. Voice messages are automatically sent to staff directing resources where to go.

The National Weather Service had in place a freezing rain advisory Thursday morning in both the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys.

The Mat-Su Borough School District, which had said Wednesday night that it would evaluate conditions in the morning, made the call very early in the day to keep schools open on Thursday.

“Mat-Su schools are open today. Road crews are out sanding due to the light mist and potential slippery conditions. Drive with eyes watching for buses,” read the notice posted on the front page of the district’s website.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.