North Cascades Highway detours to remain for cleanup and repair after rockslides

Both lanes of the North Cascades Highway will be closed for another month at least as crews start to clean up and repair damage from a series of rockslides earlier this month, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Detours have been set up taking drivers onto Highway 130 between Rockport and Marblemount while work is being done, according to the release. Exceptions will be made for emergency vehicles using a bypass lane.

The first rockslide on Highway 20 occurred on June 10 with more debris falling the next morning, with an estimated 1,000 cubic yards or 70 dump trucks worth of debris needing to be removed.

Initial inspections also showed that the slope above the highway is unstable and overhanging trees and rocks will need to be removed before the slope can be reinforced with dowels. Work is expected to start Monday, June 29, and last at least one month and cost around $700,000.

Further updates and traffic alerts can be found on the department’s Twitter account.