Parts of the North Cascades Highway washed out in winter storms, and crews will need to rebuild it from the ground up in spots.
NEWHALEM, Wash. — The eastern section of the North Cascades Highway will reopen Thursday, although other sections will remain closed for repairs caused by a rockslide and winter storm damage.
State Route 20 will reopen from the east to milepost 156 at Porcupine Creek starting at 2 p.m. A 26-mile section of the highway will remain closed between milepost 130 at Diablo Lake and Porcupine Creek.
A portion of SR 20 closes annually in the wintertime due to high avalanche risk and challenges of keeping the roadway clear of snow. Crews reopen the roadway in the spring as conditions allow.
Near Diablo Lake, a March 18 rockslide brought down about 1,000 cubic yards of debris, including some rocks measuring over 200 feet long, forcing the highway to close beyond its regular seasonal point.
In other sections between mileposts 142 and 148, heavy runoff in winter storms overwhelmed culverts and drainage systems, causing water to run over and beneath the road. The highway is no longer supported in some areas, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
“This isn’t just clearing debris,” WSDOT Assistant Region Administrator Melissa Ambler said in a statement.
The damage spans several miles, and WSDOT said it will need to rebuild the highway from the ground up in spots. Some embankments and culverts will also need to be replaced, and slopes above the roadway need to be stabilized.
Crews will begin clearing the rockslide near Diablo Lake as soon as the week of May 4 and the work is expected to be completed in 30 days under an emergency contract.
WSDOT is in the process of approving a contract for the other highway work. Once the contract is awarded, repairs are expected to take several weeks with crews working seven days a week. A more precise timeline will be released once construction begins.
The closure area is not safe for the public to access, including hiking, biking or camping, WSDOT said.
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