SR-20 – North Cascades Highway Reopens Following Mudslide
After being partially closed for nearly three weeks, State Route 20 - North Cascades Highway has fully reopened to all traffic.
A nine-mile stretch of the road between Granite Creek and the Easy Pass trailhead had been shut down since August 4 due to hazards and firefighting activity related to the Easy Fire, as well as a large mudslide that brought 7,000 tons of debris onto the road on August 11.
Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson, Lauren Loebsack, says crews were able to clean up the slide rather quickly, considering its severity.
"It was a big job. Several hundred feet of the roadway was completely covered in mud up to ten feet deep in some places. There were also some pretty large rocks within the slide that had to be removed as well."
The road reopened at noon today (Aug. 22) and will include a four-mile speed advisory zone of 35 mph between mile markers 150 and 154 until further notice.
Loebsack says the reduced speeds are in place due to ongoing firefighting activity within the affected stretch.
"We still have fire crews in that area who are working along the shoulders of the road and entering and exiting the roadway, so we want people to keep it slow and stay alert through there."
Beginning Monday (Aug. 26), the four-mile stretch will include flagger-controlled traffic with pilot cars while maintenance crews continue their work to clear basins and restore drainage systems.
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