Prince of Wales Island road reopened months after landslide

KETCHIKAN, Alaska – Officials have reopened a road linking the Prince of Wales Island communities of Kazan and Thorne Bay, two months after it was closed by a landslide.

The Ketchikan Daily News reports the South Thorne Bay/Kasaan Road was reopened Tuesday.

Sara Yockey, Kasaan’s tribal transportation director, says travellers can expect delays as road repairs continue.

The Jan. 1 landslide temporarily knocked out power and interrupted essential services. It affected about 300 people, including students who were boated to school.

The community of Kasaan began clearing the road after $400,000 in federal funds was secured in late February.

Jim Baichtal, a Tongass National Forest geologist, says the landslide affected nearly 200 feet of the road.

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Information from: Ketchikan (Alaska) Daily News, http://www.ketchikandailynews.com