Fencing, roof of Anchorage pedestrian bridge fall in strong wind, closing highway

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The side fencing and roof of a pedestrian bridge fell in strong wind early Sunday, closing the main highway south of Anchorage in both directions until the debris could be cleared.

No one was hurt when the structure fell onto the Seward Highway on the south side of Alaska’s biggest city, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.

A highway worker reported the debris around 2:30 a.m. Traffic was rerouted and crews with saws and front-end loaders had it cleared by 6:30 a.m., department spokesperson Shannon McCarthy said by email.

“While it is too early to determine the cause, it’s likely that the winds were a major component,” McCarthy said.

The walkway’s main structure spanning the four-lane highway, an entrance ramp and an outer road remained intact. The bridge links a neighborhood to an elementary school.

Winds at the time topped 20 mph (32 kilometers per hour). Heavy rain, snow and wind topping 60 mph (96 kilometers per hour) were forecast later Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.