Snapped pole sparks power outage past Scow Bay

Mitkof Highway was closed to through traffic for around eight hours on Sunday, Dec. 1, after a power pole snapped under the weight of snow and ice on the line – leaving power lines on the ground crossing the highway.

The pole failure occurred around 2:30 p.m. just past 9-mile and caused an 11 hour 10 minute power outage for the entire circuit from the Scow Bay substation out to Blind Slough.

Winds reached 35 mph with sideways rain as the crew from Petersburg Municipal Power and Light worked in near freezing temperatures to make the repairs, Utility Director Karl Hagerman told the Pilot.

The ou...