Expect delays as Bellingham cuts ‘dead and dying’ trees along Lakeway Drive
Commuters can expect delays on Lakeway for the next several weeks as dead or dying trees are removed from the median along Lakeway Drive from Interstate 5 to the Holly-Ellis street intersection.
Work is set to start Tuesday and will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “to avoid major commute times,” Public Works Department spokeswoman Torhil Ramsay told The Bellingham Herald.
“The area along Lakeway Drive will be replanted with trees. The Parks and Recreation Department is still determining which trees will go best in the area, but they will be planted with root barriers to protect curbs and roadways. These improvements are part of a larger effort to make long-term improvements to this gateway to our community,” Ramsay said in an email.
Work is expected to take about three weeks.
Lane closures are expected in the eastbound lane closest to the median. There may be intermittent traffic slowdowns in the westbound lane, Ramsay said.
Access to businesses and side streets will be maintained.
That section of Lakeway Drive is among the busiest streets in the city, with more than 21,000 cars and trucks daily, according to a 2023 traffic survey.
A pair of Denver-based street artists recently completed a mural under the I-5 viaduct at Lakeway Drive as part of an effort to give the area a face-lift, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting.
