Seven collisions over a week reported at WSDOT’s I-5 bypass south of Bellingham
Washington State Patrol has reported seven vehicle crashes along the Interstate 5 bypass road south of Bellingham since it was activated June 18. The incidents include a serious injury collision that required transportation to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to WSP Officer Kelsey Harding.
On June 24, a man was seriously injured after failing to merge into the bypass lane for construction. According to a WSP report, the driver hit the barrier and rolled his vehicle. It was the fifth of seven collisions in the work area.
“WSDOT continues to review collision reports, observe traffic through the area and evaluate the operation of the bypass. We will make adjustments if that review indicates changes to the work-zone configuration, signage or other traffic-control measures are needed,” David Rasbach, with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) communications, told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
The bypass involves two temporary roads — one northbound, one southbound — around a WSDOT work site where crews are removing, replacing and repairing outdated culverts (tunnels constructed to allow water to run underneath the interstate) as part of a $159.6 million statewide project to correct barriers to fish migration, including fixing 17 barriers along I-5 near Lake Samish.
The bypass is located south of Bellingham and is about 1.5 miles long. It begins between mileposts 245 and 246, and ends at milepost 247.
The speed limit has been reduced to 50 mph in the construction zone, and drivers are encouraged to be careful when driving through the bypass.
“What we can underscore is that everyone has a role in keeping work zones safe,” Rasbach told The Herald. “Drivers should remain alert, avoid distractions, never drive impaired and follow all posted signs and directions. Orange signs, barrels and other traffic-control devices are a signal that conditions ahead have changed. Travel lanes may shift, traffic patterns may be unfamiliar and workers or equipment may be nearby.”
Speed cameras are being set up near the construction zone to enforce the speed limit, Amy Moreno with WSDOT told The Herald. The cameras are rotated through different work zones across Washington. Moreno said she is unsure whether the cameras set up on the I-5 bypass in Whatcom County are in response to the collisions or if it is unrelated.
Last year the state legislature voted to fine people $125 for their first speeding violation caught on camera in a work zone, up from the previous first-time violation penalty of $0. A second violation comes with a penalty of $248. The change will go into effect Wednesday, July 1.
The bypass will continue to be used through September.
A section of the southbound bypass is utilizing Old Samish Road, which has been closed to traffic since April 27. It will remain closed even after the work on I-5 is completed to repair another fish barrier underneath Old Samish Road itself.
The following vehicle crashes occurred between June 19-25, all near mileposts 245 and 246.
- The first collision occurred at 1:36 p.m. June 19 northbound. The collision was a vehicle versus a semi-truck, and no injuries were reported, Harding said.
- There was another collision northbound at 7:57 p.m. June 19. It was a single vehicle that crashed into a barrier causing minor injuries, according to Harding.
- The third crash happened at 10:25 a.m. June 22 in southbound traffic. It was a two-car, non-injury collision, Harding said.
- At 5:05 June 23, there was another collision in the northbound lane. A vehicle rolled over during a two-vehicle collision causing minor injuries to one of the drivers.
- A man was seriously injured in a fifth collision at 7:45 p.m. June 24 in the northbound lane. The driver didn’t merge for construction, hit the barrier and rolled the vehicle. The driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and his passenger was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, according to a WSP incident report.
- A sixth collision occurred around 9:40 a.m. June 25. It was a two-vehicle crash with no injuries or serious vehicle damage, Harding said. Both vehicles were driven away from the scene.
- A seventh collision occurred around 4:42 p.m. June 25 at the northbound I-5 off ramp to South Samish Way. WSP received a call that a motorcyclist had crashed, but he left the area before emergency services arrived, according to Harding.
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