Early Sunday, strong winds dislodged parts of a pedestrian bridge south of Anchorage, Alaska, closing the Seward Highway in both directions. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities confirmed that no injuries occurred when the bridge's side fencing and roof landed on the roadway. A worker reported the incident at around 2:30am, and by 6:30am, crews had cleared the debris, as stated by spokesperson Shannon McCarthy.
The main span of the bridge, connecting a residential area to a nearby elementary school, remained unharmed. McCarthy said, "While it is too early to determine the cause, it's likely that the winds were a major component." Traffic was rerouted during the early hours, with teams of workers using saws and front-end loaders to restore road access swiftly.
At the time of the bridge failure, the winds were blowing at over 20mph, according to local meteorological reports. Forecasters from the National Weather Service predicted further harsh weather conditions for later Sunday, including heavy rain, snow, and gusts exceeding 60mph. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)