WSDOT done with I-5 cliffside scaling, but still no timeline for reopening
The Washington State Department of Transportation still has yet to announce a target date for when northbound Interstate 5 will reopen following a landslide March 19.
Crews are no longer focusing on scaling back the side of the cliff, and are instead drilling 15-25 foot steel dowels to stabilize the top of the slope.
“This is a precise process that may need to be repeated, as crews closely inspect the slope while working their way down,” WSDOT said in an April 1 news. “Crews also have begun breaking larger boulders near the bottom of the slide area so they can be removed.”
Northbound I-5 traffic is being diverted to Samish Way at exit 246. Drivers can rejoin the interstate at the Samish Way on-ramp at exit 252.
Freight traffic, such as semi-trucks, must instead follow the detour east on the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) before heading north on State Route 9 in Sedro-Woolley. Freight traffic can take the Mount Baker Highway (State Route 542) east to rejoin I-5, according to the April 1 news release from WSDOT.
“Travelers should continue to expect delays on I-5. Flaggers control the intersection of the northbound I-5 off-ramp and North Lake Samish Road to prioritize traffic exiting northbound I-5 during daylight hours and improve traffic flow when volumes are heaviest. WSDOT encourages people to plan ahead, add time to their travel plans and follow the speed limits and traffic laws on the roads they are using,” the news release states.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 5:20 AM.
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