Second breach confirmed in Matanuska River flooding near Butte
Crews are installing large rock to repair the sections and halt the flow of water towards the highway.
What you need to know:
- Crews are repairing two breaches in the Matanuska River bank revetment near Butte caused by snowmelt-driven flooding.
- The first, a 100-foot breach, was expected to be repaired by early Wednesday. Once that work is complete, officials plan to address a second breach confirmed by crews earlier in the week.
- Although floodwaters are receding, river flow is expected to rise throughout the day Wednesday, and a flood advisory remains in effect.
PALMER — Construction crews were expected to finish initial Matanuska River bank repairs by early Wednesday as part of the ongoing response to flooding along the Old Glenn Highway in Butte, even as a second revetment breach was confirmed.
Large rocks were installed against the bank Tuesday to repair a 100-foot breach in a decade-old bank revetment north of Maud Road that was torn apart by the snowmelt-swollen river current early Saturday, state transportation officials said.
A second revetment breach was located about 300 feet south of the initial repair site as crews conducted that work, officials said Tuesday evening. While officials initially suspected that additional damage was present, they were unable to confirm it until Tuesday due to its location, they said.
The second breach, which is partially submerged, appears to be about 90 feet long and stretches along the bank to the terminus of Maud Road at the river, said Jonathan Tauge, a state project engineer overseeing the work.
Tauge said he hopes crews can begin work on that section Wednesday. The effort could take several additional days as officials assess the damage and determine how to get their heavy equipment and rock to it, he said.
Crews will likely use one of two options, he said. They can extend a new gravel road constructed Monday to reach the initial breach, or access the section via Maud Road — a route that requires repairs to an approximately 6-foot section of the road washed out by flowing water Saturday.
Floodwaters along the highway continued to recede throughout the day Tuesday, officials said, and dropped noticeably as workers made progress on the first repair.
While the volume of water flowing down the river from Glacier View is forecast to rise from 22,000 cubic feet per second early Wednesday morning to 25,500 cfs by midday, the ongoing repair is expected to prevent additional flooding, officials said. A National Weather Service flood advisory remains in effect through Wednesday evening.
About 10 private properties and structures between Mile 13 and Mile 15 were impacted by the flooding, Matanuska-Susitna Borough officials said earlier this week.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com
