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North Cascades Highway to close for several days next week for culvert, bridge work

Olson Creek is shown along Washington state Highway 20 in an undated handout photo.
Olson Creek is shown along Washington state Highway 20 in an undated handout photo. Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald

Highway 20 will be closed for four days next week near Marblemount at as culvert on Olson Creek is removed to allow easier passage for fish, especially salmon.

A detour is planned at Rockport while the road is blocked, the Washington State Department of Transportation said in an email.

Highway 20, also called the North Cascades Highway, is the state’s northernmost mountain pass. Full closure is from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Friday.

Crews will remove the existing culvert, build a new bridge and retaining walls, WSDOT said.

Robert Mittendorf
The Bellingham Herald
Robert Mittendorf covers civic issues, weather, traffic and how people are coping with the high cost of housing for The Bellingham Herald. A journalist since 1984, he also served 22 years as a volunteer firefighter for South Whatcom Fire Authority before retiring in 2025.
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