Hatcher Pass Road finally reopens weeks after worst avalanche swarm in decades Published 4 days ago Share on Facebook Print article Hatcher Pass Road reopened Tuesday night after crews from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities finished clearing heavy snow and debris from a series of avalanches more than two weeks ago. Five avalanches on Easter covered a 2,400-foot stretch of the road in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough north of Anchorage that provides access to terrain for skiing, snowboarding and snowmachining. Avalanches of that magnitude had not hit the area in roughly 40 years, DOT said. Dangerous avalanche conditions that persisted in the area for more than a week prevented immediate road clearing. On Friday, a helicopter crew dropped 15 charges to trigger any potential remaining avalanches so the area would be safe for ground crews, DOT spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy said.