Early this morning, a boulder fell down Mount Roberts’ face and damaged one side of the Basin Road Trestle’s wooden railing. Public safety reasons, the trestle has been closed to traffic at both ends.
It is still being crossed by pedestrians. Tom Mattice is the Emergency Programs Manager for Juneau. He encourages residents to avoid the area to ensure their safety.
He said that the slope would remain unstable for a while. But that slope will remain unstable for a while .”
Mattice states that slides are more common during the fall. However, warm and wet conditions this winter have contributed to the rockfall, especially after this weekend’s heavy rainfalls.
He said that span style=”font weight: 400 ;”>” We just had enough rain on the hillside to cause it to deteriorate and to break down the bonds that held a rock in its place.” It expands when it freezes and you get the melt-and-freeze cycle. That acts as a jackhammer to push the rocks off the hillside .”
The site was visited Wednesday by bridge engineers from Alaska Department of Transportation to check for deeper structural damage. The findings of these engineers will assist the City and Bureau of Juneau in deciding how to proceed with cleanup and repair.
Basin Road will remain closed to the public until further notice.
