Updated: 2 Hours ago Published: 8th Hours ago

According to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, repairs were being made Thursday after sinkholes formed on Minnesota Drive and Glenn Highway near Palmer.

It was not immediately clear what caused the holes to form.

The state Department of Transportation closed the northbound center lane of Minnesota Drive around 7 p.m. Wednesday after construction workers in the area noticed a small sinkhole that had formed near the intersection with 26th Avenue, said Department of Transportation spokesman Justin Shelby. The area had recently been repaved as part of a resurfacing project, he said.

All northbound lanes of Minnesota Drive were scheduled to be closed between 26th and 15th avenues around 7 p.m. Thursday so workers could make repairs, he said.

It was not immediately clear how long the repairs would take, as crews will not assess the extent of the sinkhole until they excavate the area. However, Shelby expressed hope that the temporary repairs would be completed before rush hour Friday morning.

Officials said traffic was limited to one lane on Glenn Wednesday afternoon when a sinkhole formed east of the Parks Highway interchange between Matanuska Spur Road and Kepler Lake. Construction is underway on that stretch of highway this summer, and workers in the area noticed the sinkhole, Shelby said.

The sinkhole was relatively small and workers were filling and compacting the area before repaved so it could be reopened Thursday morning, he said. Workers plan to monitor the area daily and will continue to inspect it while utility lines are being relocated in early July, he said.