Yukon’s South Klondike Highway, located south of Carcross, has been partially reopened to traffic on Thursday afternoon. However, authorities have cautioned that the road could close again unpredictably.

The highway had been shut down for almost 48 hours following a series of rock slides on Tuesday that obstructed the roadway between Carcross and the British Columbia border. Yukon highway officials announced that the highway would be accessible from 1:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, with traffic flow managed through single-lane alternation and reduced speeds. Commuters were advised to anticipate delays as maintenance crews remain active in the area.

Bailey Moreton from the Department of Highways and Public Works explained that this partial reopening facilitates a detour around the landslide zone, enabling vehicles to pass through. The complete reopening of the highway is scheduled for Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., before temporary closure resumes overnight.

Moreover, Moreton emphasized the possibility of sudden closures due to slope instability or adverse weather conditions, urging drivers to monitor the latest updates on 511Yukon for real-time information.

Theron Finley, a surficial geologist from the Yukon Geological Survey, visited the slide site on Wednesday with a colleague to investigate the incident. By employing drones, they managed to observe the location on the slope where the slide originated.

Finley suggested that the slides seemed to be a highly localized occurrence, likely triggered by heavy rainfall in the vicinity. He highlighted the presence of multiple slides on a nearby peak and detailed how two of these “debris flows” reached the highway, emphasizing the susceptibility of this highway stretch to such events due to the steep terrain adjacent to the road.

He stressed the importance of documenting and understanding these phenomena to anticipate and address future geological risks effectively in collaboration with other government entities.