State Route 20, also known as North Cascades Highway, may reopen earlier than expected.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) the goal is to reopen both directions by June 25—that’s 10 days sooner than previously estimated.
Right now, the highway is closed in both directions in two places because of a rockslide in March and a washout from December’s historic flooding.
The closures are from Colonial Creek Campground at milepost 130 to the Ross Dam Trailhead at milepost 134 and from Canyon Creek Trailhead to Granite Creek – mileposts 142 to 148.
Bikers, hikers and campers are not allowed beyond the closure gates near mileposts 130 and 156. The closed section of highway includes unstable slopes, damaged roadway and areas where the ground beneath the pavement has been washed away. These conditions aren’t always visible from the surface.
According to WSDOT, one of the reasons the work is taking so long to complete it elevation. The primary damage sites on SR 20 are around 2,170 feet in elevation, while the damaged area in Tumwater Canyon on US 2 is closer to 1,500 feet. That higher elevation meant much of the SR 20 damage stayed buried under snow well into the winter, preventing crews from safely accessing and fully assessing the roadway until March.
According to WSDOT, there are three locations where the embankment supporting the roadway needs to be rebuilt, more than 1,000 feet of lane that has been undermined or collapsed, crews need to rebuild one to two miles of damaged or collapsed asphalt shoulder, two to three miles of ditch line needs to be repaired, more than 1,000 feet of damaged guardrail and/or concrete barrier need fixing, approximately 15 culverts are damaged or covered by debris, and slopes above the roadway must be stabilized.
©2026 Cox Media Group
