Haines Road reopens after nearly 2 week closure

CBC
·1 min read
A cleared section of Haines Road or Highway 3 in an update posted to social media on Jan. 5. The road reopened on Jan. 6 after a nearly two week closure that left communities on both sides of the border isolated. (Yukon Highway and Public Works - image credit)
A cleared section of Haines Road or Highway 3 in an update posted to social media on Jan. 5. The road reopened on Jan. 6 after a nearly two week closure that left communities on both sides of the border isolated. (Yukon Highway and Public Works - image credit)

After nearly two weeks, the road connecting Haines Junction, Yukon with Haines, Alaska has reopened.

Haines Road, or Highway 3, first closed on Dec. 24 due to snow and poor conditions.

Residents of Haines Junction had limited access out of town. But for residents of Haines Borough, on the Alaskan side of the border, the only way out during the closure was by ferry.

While it's not the first year the highway has closed, Tom Morphet, the mayor of Haines Borough, said this year has been the worst in recent memory.

"We feel very cut off this winter," he said. "The Haines highway was closed off and on for almost 20 days in December, which is a big concern. Peoples' lives get disrupted, their travel gets disrupted."

Morphet said the route is also used to get to the Whitehorse hospital during emergencies at times when flights and ferries aren't available.

"We're accustomed to snow closures, you know, sometimes for three days or so, but nothing like what's happened this year."

In a message posted to Facebook on Jan. 6, Yukon Highways and Public Works wrote that the road opened at 10 a.m. with a reduced speed of 70 km/hr.

"Please be aware that there are still icy and narrow sections so take care when travelling," the post read. "Huge thanks to our crews for getting us back on the road safely."