Traffic Report: Flooding construction on Iowa Street will close I-5 off-ramp
Iowa Street in Bellingham was among several Whatcom County roadways flooded following an atmospheric river in December, and repairs are underway to help prevent such flooding in the future. The city of Bellingham’s Iowa Street Stormwater Repair project will close the street for two nights for repair work to the stormwater system (see below).
Interstate 5:
- The Iowa Street off-ramp (milepost 254) will be closed from 8 to 10 p.m. Monday, July 13 and then again from 8 p.m. Thursday, July 16 to 6 a.m. Friday, July 17. The closure is so the city of Bellingham can repair and replace stormwater lines in the area to prevent flooding near the Iowa Street exit.
- Northbound and southbound will be reduced to a single lane near Alger and Lake Samish Road. Southbound traffic will cross over and use northbound lanes until Saturday, July 25 as crews install a fish passage beneath southbound lanes.
- The off-ramp southbound to Lake Samish Road near Alger (exit 240) will be closed for 28 days starting noon, Monday July 6 for fish passage construction. Traffic detours will use the Nulle Road off-ramp at exit 242.
- From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, the right lane northbound near Loomis Trail Road will close for sign maintenance.
- The right lane of southbound Interstate 5 between Northwest Avenue (milepost 257) and State Route 539/Guide Meridian (milepost 256) will be closed for a maintenance paving project from 10 p.m. Sunday, July 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 20.
- From 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 18, participants in the Tour de Whatcom will be on the shoulder on portions of SR 11, SR 542/Mount Baker Highway, SR 543, SR 548/Peace Portal Drive and near I-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.
- From Saturday, July 11, to Friday, July 15, cyclists are expected on the shoulder of I-5 in both directions at Samish Way for the Bay to Baker Bicycle Tour. Cyclists are also expected on State Routes 9, 11, 20, 536, 542/Mount Baker Highway, 547 and 548/Peace Portal Drive.
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.
State Route 544: The road is fully closed both eastbound and westbound to the east of Everson from Robinson Street to Everson Road for the city of Everson project. Detours are set up using Robinson Road and Everson Street.
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Traffic Report: Flooding construction on Iowa Street will close I-5 off-ramp."
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