Crash shuts down northbound I-5 traffic for several hours near Bellingham

Northbound Interstate 5 through Bellingham was completely blocked Tuesday afternoon following an incident involving a bicyclist and two vehicles south of town.

A collision was reported at 11:06 a.m. Tuesday north of the Samish Way exit. One lane of northbound traffic reopened around 12:25 p.m. WSDOT announced the scene was cleared and traffic resumed in both lanes around 3:30 p.m.

Washington State Trooper Kelsey Harding said on social media at least one person was injured, though the extent of the injury has not been made public.

Medical aid, fire assistance and Washington State Patrol responded to the scene, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 12:05 PM.

Jack Belcher

The Bellingham Herald

360-715-2206

Jack Belcher covers transportation and recreation for The Bellingham Herald. He graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in digital journalism in 2020 and joined the staff in September 2022. Belcher resides in Bellingham.