The Latest: Boulder over Alaska highway weighed 60 tons

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Latest on dislodging of boulder over highway in Alaska (all times local):

1:45 p.m.

Alaska transportation officials say it took about five minutes for road crews to dislodge a massive boulder that was poised to tumble down on a busy highway.

State transportation department spokeswoman Jill Reese says the boulder that was brought down Thursday morning with a high-pressure water hose is estimated to weigh more than 60 tons.

Reese says the work followed a rock slide that pushed the van-sized rock to a precipice about 50 feet above the Seward Highway near Potter Marsh, south of Anchorage. The Seward Highway is the only road leading south out of Anchorage.

Reese says the rock came to rest near the cliff-side lane. She said earlier Thursday crews were hoping to have it removed later Thursday but said later it hasn’t been determined how long it will take to break up the rock and remove it from the site.

A passing lane will remain closed until the work is completed.

11:50 a.m.

Alaska road crews have dislodged a massive boulder that was poised to come crashing down on a highway busy with summer travellers.

The Thursday morning work followed a rock slide that pushed the van-sized rock to a precipice over the Seward Highway near Potter Marsh, south of Anchorage. The Seward Highway is the only road leading south out of Anchorage.

State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jill Reese says crews dislodged the rock with a high-pressure water hose.

She says the boulder came to rest on the cliff-side lane, but it was too large to move, even for two front-loaders at the scene.

Reese says crews are breaking up the rock and hoping to have it removed later Thursday.