Traffic Report: Paving projects update; Guide Meridian public comment sought
Ferndale traffic is reduced to a single lane on Third Avenue between Vista Drive and Washington Street, near the former Cargill Ferndale Grain facility. Flaggers will be alternating traffic between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. every weekday between June 22 and July 3 for work associated with the Ferndale Grain facility closure.
Lynden: The public has been invited to comment on the planned paving projects on Guide Meridian (State Route 539) and Badger Road (State Route 546) scheduled for 2028. People are encouraged to take an online survey created by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The project will pave two miles of road in both directions of the Guide Meridian from State Route (SR) 539 from SR 546 (milepost 12.55) to Bay Lyn Drive (milepost 10.40), and two miles of Badger Road from SR 539 (milepost 0.03) to Vinup Road (milepost 2.45), excluding previous fish passage areas at Depot Road (milepost 1.47) and Bender Road (milepost 2.01).
Sumas: State Route 547 traffic will alternate via a single lane from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday between mileposts 9 and 10 as part of a paving project.
Mount Baker Highway (State Route 542):
- Flaggers will alternate traffic at First Street (milepost 13) from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night Monday June 22 through Friday, June 25 for utility work.
- Traffic will alternate in a single lane from noon to 3 p.m. Monday, June 22 between Casey Road (milepost 23) to Cornell Creek Road (milepost 31) for utility work.
Guide Meridian (State Route 539): Traffic will alternate with temporary holds at Beard Road (mileposts 7) for utility work from 9 p.m. Thursday, June 25 to 5 a.m. Friday, June 26.
East Pole Road (State Route 544) will be closed east and westbound between Robinson Street and Everson Road until July 3 for a city of Everson sidewalk project. A temporary detour is in place.
State Route 9: Northbound and southbound traffic will alternate around the clock from Nugents Corner to South Pass Road (mileposts 84 to 90) for a paving project that began Monday, June 15. The project is expected to be completed sometime in August, according to WSDOT. Flaggers will be directing traffic through work zones.
Repairs to the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) finished Sunday, June 14 and the highway is now open, according to a social media post from the Washington State Department of Transportation. Last month, WSDOT officials stated the goal was to open the highway by the Fourth of July. Then on June 9, officials announced repairs were ahead of schedule and the highway would reopen June 19, but crews wrapped up work earlier than expected.
The North Cascades Highway is the closest road over the Cascades Mountains for residents of Bellingham and Whatcom County. WSDOT closes the highway over the mountain pass every fall or winter because of avalanche danger. It usually opens again in April or May, but a series of winter storms damaged a six-mile stretch of the highway from the Canyon Creek Trailhead to Granite Creek, between mileposts 142 and 148.
Construction of another Lynden roundabout has begun at the intersection of State Route 546 and Benson Road starting Thursday, June 18. The intersection is closed from June 21-27 for construction. Access to homes and businesses in the area is still possible by taking different routes, according to WSDOT. An official signed detour will be in place for passenger vehicles using Main Street, while freight traffic should use 539/Guide Meridian, SR 544/East Pole Road and SR 9/Nooksack Avenue during the six-day closure.
Artist Point opened Wednesday, June 10 after two weeks of clearing efforts by WSDOT crews. The final 2.7 miles of Mount Baker Highway has been closed for the winter season since Oct. 15
Interstate 5
- Northbound and Southbound I-5 has switched to a temporary two-lane bypass near Chuckanut Creek. The bypass will be used through September as WSDOT crews install a new fish-passage beneath the interstate. Old Samish Road is being used as the two-lane bypass lanes for southbound traffic. The road will remain closed for the rest of the year, even after the highway work is complete, to install part of the fish passage.
- Bicyclists are expected on both directions of I-5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27 between Samish Way and Nulle Road (milepost 246 to 242) for the Padden Triathlon.
James Street in Bellingham has been closed since Monday, June 8 for a $5.3 million project to give bicyclists and people on foot easier access from the growing King Mountain neighborhood to nearby parks and shopping. The road will remain closed until June 29.
Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11): The shoulder of Chuckanut Drive will close from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, June 28 between Old Samish Road and California Street (milepost 18) for the Chuckanut Footrace.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Traffic Report: Paving projects update; Guide Meridian public comment sought."
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