Crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation are working to stabilize the slope and clear debris on State Route 20 near Diablo Lake.
WSDOT says this is the first of two emergency contracts needed to repair and reopen the remainder of North Cascades Highway.
Right now, the highway is closed from milepost 130 to 156 – not just for cars, but for bikers, hiker and campers, too.
A portion of SR 20 reopened last week from the east side gate to Porcupine Creek, just west of Rainy Pass.
“We’re ALL very eager for the full road to reopen. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we get a good sense for a timeline. Thanks for bearing with us this year,” WSDOT said.
WSDOT noted that every repair comes with its own challenges. In some cases, the department can use emergency contracting that allows work to begin immediately and wrap up within about a month or less—this isn’t one of those cases.
“Given the extent of damage on SR 20, this work cannot be completed within 30 days, even if crews were working around the clock,” WSDOT explained. “Because of that, we are required to use a different contracting approach, which includes developing plans and allowing contractors to bid on the work.”
Crews are working on rebuilding sections of road where the ground beneath the pavement has washed away during the historic flooding in December. They’re also working on stabilizing slopes, repairing drainage systems, and replacing damaged barriers and guardrails.