The Washington State Department of Transportation has partially reopened SR 20 North Cascades Highway.
The iconic mountain pass is now open to all traffic from the east side gate to Porcupine Creek (Milepost 156), just west of Rainy Pass. WSDOT says there is room for vehicles to turn around at the closure point.
Mileposts 130-156 are still closed for safety. There’s no estimated time for reopening.
“We’ve heard the frustration and concerns that these repairs aren’t being prioritized,” WSDOT shared. “We know people have seen us move quickly on other highway repairs across the state, and that can make this situation feel different.”
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.
“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.