The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says crews will begin clearing State Route 20 – also known as North Cascades Highway – as early as next week.
Work will begin on Monday, March 23. WSDOT says the area behind the closure points must be treated as an active work zone Monday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This means people should not go behind the closure points at any time during working hours.
“Our team works hard to maintain a safe operation, and we need everyone to respect that effort. No hike or bike ride is worth the risk,” WSDOT shared.
The team reported lower-than-average snow depths on the roadway this year:
- Cutthroat: 33.5 inches
- Washington Pass Summit: 56 inches
- Bridge Creek: 79 inches
- Rainy Pass Summit 73 inches
At Cutthroat Ridge, WSDOT says there are half a dozen avalanche debris piles that reached the road, and all three Liberty Bell slides covered the roadway. This means the clearing crew will need to bring in a dozer to clear the slides ahead of the blowers.
There was also ditch line scour and plugged culverts observed on the west side of Washington Pass and on Rainy Pass.
State Route 20 closes for reasons other than snow. In the last few years, this route has been closed due to mudslides, wildfires, and crashes. There will also be repairs coming to certain sections of the route damaged in the December 2025 atmospheric flood event. With a narrow window of weather to complete all the work, WSDOT says travelers should expect to encounter work zones on their trip over the North Cross this year.
A rockslide has closed the road at milepost 130 as of March 17. An emergency contract is in development to clear the road at that location. Additionally, a washout has been identified between mileposts 142-143. The plan is to also fix this washout under an emergency contract once the rockslide at milepost 130 has been cleared and the site is accessible by crews and contractors. More will be shared when the project schedule is confirmed.
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