Expect road delays as Mt. Baker Ski Area opens

Skiers and snowboarders headed to Mt. Baker Ski Area for its opening day Thursday, Nov. 19, should leave extra time to get there because the Mount Baker Highway is still reduced to one lane above Glacier.

The rain-swollen Nooksack River eroded the bank below the highway and exposed 90 feet of guardrail posts along the eastbound lane. So the state Department of Transportation closed that lane near milepost 39, about six miles east of Glacier, on Tuesday as a safety precaution while preparing an emergency fix.

To protect the embankment, crews will place several hundred rocks that are about 5 feet in diameter along the eroded section of the riverbank.

The fix is expected to cost at least $500,000.

It wasn’t known Wednesday how long the repairs will take.

That work will be easier with rain giving way to sun in the coming days.

“It would be helpful for our emergency repairs if the river goes down, so drier weather would help us,” said Tom Pearce, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

A traffic signal will be used to direct motorists where the highway has been reduced to one lane. The green signal will be longer in the morning for those headed east to the ski area, and longer in the afternoon for those headed west when they’ll be leaving the ski area.

Motorists can expect delays of a few minutes, officials said.

A permanent repair will be made this summer.

On Thursday, the ski area will have at least seven chairs running, if not eight. Its three lodges will be open, with the main focus on White Salmon and Raven and limited service at Heather Meadows, according to Duncan Howat, the ski area’s general manager.

The snow base was 37 inches at Heather Meadows and more than 60 inches on top of Pan Dome as of Wednesday.

“It’s snowing right now and 27 degrees. We’re getting some fresh snow on top of things, a little bit,” Howat said Wednesday afternoon.

It’s early in the season, so skiers and snowboarders should expect undulating terrain because the snowpack is lower.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Expect road delays as Mt. Baker Ski Area opens."