I-5 reopens in Bellingham near after closure Sunset exit due to ‘police activity’
Northbound and southbound traffic on Interstate 5 through Bellingham have reopened after being closed for approximately an hour Monday afternoon near Sunset Drive due to “police activity” in the area.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Jacob Kennett tweeted at 2:25 p.m. Dec. 20 that the freeway had reopened.
That came after a 1:23 p.m. tweet that read: “#BeAdvised: NB/SB I5 near Sunset Drive, Mp 254, will be fully blocked for police activity. Please avoid the area as the incident is ongoing. Off ramps into Bellingham should still be open for a detour. Updates will be provided as they become available.”
A Bellingham Police Department tweet at the time said that the freeway is closed between Sunset and Iowa and that it was “unknown how long this situation will take to resolve.”
Kennett told The Bellingham Herald that, though he couldn’t give many details, the road was closed due to “an individual in crisis.”
Bellingham Police Department crisis negotiators were attempting to assist the individual, Kennett said, along with help from the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Washington State Department of Transportation Travel Center said that the State Patrol, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Bellingham Police are on scene.
Fire and medical units were told to avoid I-5 due to a “major incident,” according to unconfirmed emergency radio reports.
“We are unsure how long the closure will last, but we appreciate everyone keeping that area clear until we can clear the situation,” Kennett told The Herald.
A WSDOT traffic camera at Iowa shows northbound traffic backed up from the Alabama Street overpass and stretched past almost to the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit. Southbound traffic, meanwhile, was backed up beyond the Bakerview exit.
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 2:05 PM.
