Crews plan to remove hazardous paint and soil before hauling away pieces of Bellingham Rock near I-5.
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Transportation says the longtime Bellingham Rock will be relocated as part of an Interstate 5 fish passage project near Chuckanut Creek.
WSDOT said work to move the well-known landmark could begin as early as Monday, April 20, because the rock sits inside an active construction area where crews are replacing culverts that block fish from moving upstream.
The painted rock has served as a community message board along I-5 for more than 50 years.
WSDOT said it must be removed so work can move forward on a project meant to restore fish passage at Friday, Lake and Chuckanut creeks near Bellingham.
The agency said it reviewed several options, including leaving the rock in place or protecting it during construction, but those options were not workable because the rock is directly in the project footprint.
Once the rock is removed, it cannot be put back near I-5 or nearby ramps. WSDOT said state and federal highway rules do not allow it to be placed in limited-access areas where it could lead to unsafe parking or people walking near the freeway.
WSDOT said it began looking at the rock early in project planning and documented it in 2023 as a unique geologic feature that has also long been used as a public message space.
The agency said it also completed environmental and cultural resource reviews and worked with state and federal partners while considering ways to avoid, reduce or address project impacts.
Before the rock is moved, crews will remove paint and other hazardous material from its surface and the surrounding soil. WSDOT said some of the paint is likely lead-based. Soil between 6 inches and 2 feet deep will also be removed from around the rock to address contamination, including lead and cadmium, and taken to permitted disposal sites.
After that, the rock will be broken into smaller pieces. WSDOT said crews will drill holes and use expansive grout to slowly crack the rock over multiple rounds before loading the pieces onto trucks.
No explosives will be used.
The rock weighs more than 100 tons, and WSDOT said moving it in one piece would require major cost, specialized equipment and permits.
The agency said it explored several relocation options, including publicly owned property, but ruled out WSDOT sites because of access, environmental and safety concerns, long-term maintenance needs, and the lack of safe public access.
WSDOT also said no partner public agency agreed to take ownership.
A privately owned property in Bellingham has been identified as a possible new home for the rock.
WSDOT said it has signed an agreement with the property owner, reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office, that includes public access provisions.
The owner will inspect the rock after it is removed and broken into pieces and then decide whether to accept it.
If that happens, WSDOT will deliver the rock to the agreed location and the owner will take over long-term care.
The owner will later share details about public access.
If the owner decides not to take it, WSDOT said it will create a process to distribute a limited number of pieces to interested members of the public.
WSDOT said it is also documenting the history of Bellingham Rock as part of the removal process.
The larger project started in 2025 and is part of WSDOT’s statewide effort to remove fish barriers and comply with a federal court injunction requiring the state to open habitat for salmon and other species.
Along this stretch of I-5, crews are replacing 17 outdated culverts near Lake Samish with 10 new structures designed to let fish move freely upstream.
At Chuckanut Creek, the work includes building three new bridges on northbound and southbound I-5 and Old Samish Road. WSDOT said the project will open nearly three-quarters of a mile of additional habitat for salmon and steelhead.
Drivers should expect periodic right-lane closures on northbound I-5 west of the North Lake Samish exit while the rock is being moved. WSDOT said it will announce lane reduction dates and information about future traffic shifts onto temporary bypass roads once the schedule is finalized.
Later in the spring and summer, northbound and southbound I-5 traffic will shift onto temporary two-lane bypass roads during construction.
Old Samish Road will also close while crews build a new bridge over Chuckanut Creek, and southbound I-5 traffic will use a short stretch of the county road as a bypass.
WSDOT said travelers should not stop near the work zone or try to enter it once crews begin setting up at the site.
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