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Snohomish County's Mountain Loop Highway opens two weeks early

The Barlow Pass Trailhead located on the Mountain Loop Highway

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — The Mountain Loop Highway, which traverses the western section of the Cascade Range, reopened to traffic two weeks early Friday.

Each winter, a 14-mile gravel stretch of the road is closed due to weather conditions.

“Due to the unseasonably fine weather, we are able to open the highway earlier than in recent years,” Snohomish County Engineer Doug McCormick said.

“We are especially pleased because it gives campers and hikers who use this route during the summer months more time to enjoy the county’s natural beauty.”

Crews with Snohomish County Public Works and the U.S. Forest Service maintain the highway.

Officials said during weekdays in the summer an average of 100 cars travel on the highway and an average of 200 cars travel on the highway on weekends.

Click here to view of road closure map in Snohomish County.

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