November storms took enormous toll on levees, state highways and county roads
Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Transportation crews and their contractors continue to repair damage to levees and rural roads and highways from the series of powerful storms that battered Western Washington in mid-November.
Repairs continue on Mount Baker Highway, on Nooksack River levees breached by raging floodwaters and on the Nooksack River bridge at Everson, where further inspections are pending.
No estimate was available for the cost of road repairs, but damage and losses to homes, businesses and infrastructure could exceed $50 million from the November storms, according to the most recent estimates from the Whatcom County Emergency Operations Center.
Several Whatcom County roads and highways have reopened recently, including Mosquito Lake Road and Highway 9 from Nugents Corner to Everson, which was closed for several weeks when rushing water tore out a section of the road.
But other repairs are continuing, especially on the Mount Baker Highway — the only route to the Mt. Baker Ski Area and other winter sports destinations in the backcountry wilderness.
Levees
Crews from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been assisting the Whatcom County Department of Public Works and other government agencies, including the county and local flood-control districts, said Marie Duckworth, spokeswoman for Public Works.
Levees were damaged or breached in several places along the Nooksack River and its tributaries and wetland areas, including places along Marine Drive in the river delta, in Lynden an Everson, and on Fishtrap Creek, Saar Creek and Rainbow Slough, Duckworth told The Bellingham Herald.
Emergency repairs were complete or underway, with dry season repairs planned in the summer of 2022.
“There was substantial damage to the Marine Drive levee south of Slater Road,” Duckworth said in an email. “Approximately 150 feet of levee was washed away in a very wet and inaccessible area. The county is currently evaluating options for measures that can be taken to reduce impacts to Slater Road and Marine Drive.”
Repairs were complete on the Twin View levee upstream of the Everson bridge, and repairs were set to begin this week on the Lynden levee, she said.
Everson bridge
Because of damage to the bridge approaches, traffic is limited to a single lane with a temporary traffic signal on the Pole Road bridge over the Nooksack River west of Everson, said RB McKeon, a WSDOT spokeswoman.
“Contractor crews have been working to pump the water out of this area on State Route 544 (Pole Road) in Everson, however, it’s still too high for our crews to inspect it,” McKeon said in an email. “(This) week, divers will be onsite to assess the bridge.”
WSDOT inspectors will decide if additional repairs will be needed in spring or summer, she said.
Mount Baker Highway
Repairs also are continuing on the Mount Baker Highway at locations near mileposts 28, 39, 42 and 45.
That’s between Maple Falls and the WSDOT depot near Twin Lakes Road east of Glacier, McKeon said.
Floodwaters undermined the road in several places and work is continuing around the clock, with repairs at milepost 39 expected to finish before the end of this week, McKeon said.
“As floodwaters receded, crews were able to inspect and assess the damage and work is now underway in several locations. Most repairs will take four to six weeks to complete and in some cases additional work will be scheduled during the 2022 construction season,” McKeon said.
“Since SR 542 is the direct route to the Mt. Baker Ski Area and snow is in the forecast, our crews are communicating with the resort so that when it opens and skiers and snowboarders head up the mountain, we can support traffic control to get folks there, while maintaining a safe work zone for our crews.”
McKeon said @wsdot_north on Twitter offers timely updates, along with the WSDOT smartphone app and a real-time traffic map at the WSDOT website.
Other roads
A sinkhole closed Blaine Road near Blaine last week, requiring a detour.
“Geotechnical engineers assessed the area yesterday and right now, we anticipate that our maintenance crews will be able to safely reopen the road very soon, McKeon said.
Several Whatcom County roads remain closed as repairs continue, Duckworth said.
“The closures are essential for public safety,” she said. “Repairs are planned or already underway to reopen roads as soon as possible. Patience is advised while traveling through areas under assessment or repair.”
▪ Birch Bay-Lynden Road remains closed just east of Ham Road, where a 12-foot culvert for California Creek washed out a 40-foot section. “Whatcom County has begun design work and coordination with affected utilities and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to complete an emergency culvert replacement project. Permanent repairs will occur at a later date. Officials anticipate that the emergency culvert repairs will be completed and the road reopened for public access by late December 2021 or early January 2022.”
▪ South Pass Road is closed for a half-mile by a landslide just northeast of the North Pass Road intersection. “The county hired a geotechnical firm to review the damage site on Nov. 30; officials are awaiting for the firm’s recommendations on both temporary repairs to open the roadway in some capacity, as well as the proposed permanent repair. Currently, there is no estimate of when this road will reopen for public access.”
▪ Goshen Road is closed approximately 500 feet west of Roberts Road, where part of the slope collapsed. “Whatcom County is working with a geotechnical engineer to assess options for repairs. Prior to this event, design work was already underway for the replacement of the Anderson Creek Bridge which is located just east of this damage site. Attempts will be made to complete this repair work in a way that is well-coordinated with this future bridge replacement project. Currently there is no estimate for when the road will reopen for public access, but the county is aware of the importance of this roadway section and will expedite repairs as possible,” Duckworth said.
▪ Drayton Harbor Road is closed at the Shintaffer Road intersection because the shoreline slope is eroding and the bank was undercut by waves. “The goal would be to open the road to single-lane traffic as soon as safety and slope stability permit. Final repairs will follow, but this project is a lower priority based on traffic volumes and other repair sites,” Duckworth said.
▪ Silver Lake Road is closed five miles north of Maple Falls by a slide that realigned Maple Creek. “Discussions are being expedited to resolve the water issues and open Silver Lake Road as soon as possible. Please use alternate routes, and stay clear of this area if you are not a local resident,” Duckworth said.
▪ North Fork Road is closed two miles north of Mosquito Lake Road with access for local residents only. “The actively failing slope has claimed a large section of existing roadway. Our contractor crews have installed an emergency access road for construction and local residents only. This temporary road is located on private property and therefore not for public access. Violations of this restriction are subject to fines. Currently there is no estimate of when this road will reopen for public access,” Duckworth said.
Bellingham
Streets and roads in Bellingham suffered significantly less damage from the November storms, said Amy Cloud, spokeswoman for the Public Works Department.
Two bridges north of the York neighborhood were closed for several days for inspection in mid-November, but they have been opened and were awaiting scheduled replacement.
Several residents on 19th Avenue off Chuckanut Drive couldn’t drive their cars home when a small bridge washed out and they had to make do with a temporary footbridge.
A new temporary bridge was installed last week at a cost of about $150,000.
Residential traffic is allowed and it’s safe for emergency vehicles, Cloud said.
Costs of a permanent fix are unknown at this time as the scope of the permanent fix is unknown,” she said.
