Northbound I-5 south of Bellingham reopens after downed trees, mudslide force closure
Northbound Interstate 5 south of Bellingham was closed Monday for several hours at Nulle Road due to downed trees and a partial mudslide, the Washington State Patrol reported.
“Currently no ETA to reopen,” Trooper Rocky Oliphant tweeted shortly after 9 a.m. Nov. 15. “Several trees down and a partial mudslide onto the road.”
The Washington State Department of Transportation responded to the scene, Oliphant told The Bellingham Herald, and worked to remove the downed trees.
Crews also had to check the hillside above the interstate to make sure it was safe for traffic to resume.
“One thing to note about closures that involve debris blocking the road,” WSDOT said in a tweet about the closure. “Reopening often isn’t about clearing the debris, but making sure the hillside is stable, which can take some time, especially in this kind of weather.”
Further complicating issues in the area, there were at least two collisions from traffic attempting to divert around the road closure, according to unconfirmed emergency radio broadcasts. The State Patrol was being asked to close the off-ramp at Nulle Road to prevent further difficulties.
Oliphant tweeted at 10:52 a.m. that the road was back open, but told The Bellingham Herald there was still some debris along the side of the roadway.
It is the second time in I-5 in Whatcom County has been closed Monday, as Oliphant reported downed trees closed the freeway a couple of miles further north near milepost 246 in both directions at approximately 1:51 a.m. Monday.
Crews were able to clear the downed trees and reopen traffic in both directions at approximately 4:24 a.m.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 9:50 AM.
