I-90 in Washington is STILL CLOSED! What’s The Best Detour?

If you can't stay home, what are the best ways to get around the I-90 closure if you have to?

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I-90 Still Closed Days After Medical Lake Wildfire Starts

There are a lot of people still trying to cross Washington stuck in traffic trying to get around the fire. I-90 is pretty much the only way across from Spokane to Seattle and it has been closed since last Friday afternoon. The entire town of Medical Lake is still under level 3 evacuations and there seems to be no end in sight to the closure of I-90 and that entire area. There are basically two different ways around the closure but neither is a great option. If you CAN STAY HOME, avoid the mess altogether but if you HAVE to travel across I-90 these are the only ways to go.

Two Best Ways Around the I-90 Closure

If you are trying to get across the state, there are only two main ways to go around the I-90 closure and both are jammed with traffic. The shortest way is to take Highway-2 between Davenport and Spokane from Airway Heights and then south to I-90 through Harrington. It is normally about a 45-minute drive from Airway Heights to Davenport but it will be much longer with the current traffic. Once in Davenport take a left heading south to Harrington on WA-28 and then drive through town to Harrington-Tokio Road. That will get you just outside of Ritzville and past the closure. This is the 'preferred' route if you are heading westbound.

The Second Route Option Around I-90 Closure is Even Longer

Because the area around Medical Lake is still closed for evacuations (illustrated by the map above) you have to go way around. One way around to the south would be to try and take SR-904 around Medical Lake between Tyler and Four Lakes. The problem is that route will be very packed with traffic. There is another way around the I-90 closure of the Grey fire in Medical Lake but is much longer than the first option through Tyler. You need to take US-195 from Spokane all the way down to Steptoe. Then take WA-23 through St. John to Sprague and then you can get back on to I-90 from there. This route will be longer than the first route listed but might have less traffic. This way is the 'preferred' route if you are heading eastbound. Either way that you choose to go, you will encounter crazy long lines and smokey air. One last tip, keep your AC on while you wait in traffic to help keep the air in your car breathable.