Update, 3 p.m. Monday:
The portion of the Alaska Highway that closed when the road was washed out has reopened with a one-lane detour. The story has been updated here.
Original story:
The Alaska Highway remained closed to traffic on Sunday afternoon, north of Liard Hot Springs in British Columbia, near the Yukon Territory border, after a section of the road collapsed due to flooding this week.
Krysten Johnson, a spokesperson for the Yukon Department of Highways and Public Works, said via email that the Stewart-Cassiar Highway remains open as an alternate route, “although it can be a bit narrow and rough in sections.”
The 1,387-mile-long Alaska Highway — also known as the Alcan — is the main route for drivers between Alaska and the Lower 48.
Photos of the damage were shared by the Yukon Highways and Public Works department on Friday evening. The portion of road appeared to be washed away, causing a deep crevice in the road.
The Alaska Highway is closed about 50 to 60km south of Watson Lake on the BC side of the border.
— Yukon Highways and Public Works (@YukonHPW) July 2, 2022
These photos were taken at Contact Creek earlier today. #Yukon@TranBC pic.twitter.com/eHH69Axuo5
The damage stretching about 24 miles occurred between Liard Hot Springs in British Columbia and Watson Lake in the Yukon.
A B.C. road and traffic update said the damage was caused by water pooling between Fireside Maintenance Camp and Allen’s Lookout, and that no detour was available.
It was not clear how long the road would remain closed.
⛔️#BCHwy97 - Closed, 125 km north of #LiardHotSprings, at KM 898, in both directions, due to water across the road.
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) July 2, 2022
Detour not available. Use an alternate route: #BCHwy16 West #BCHwy37 North
ℹ️ https://t.co/pSzyZUW62d@511yukon #WatsonLake #PrinceGeorge @511Alberta pic.twitter.com/Dqe8JvdPPA