The North Cascades Highway Will Open Early, with a New Date

When we last visited this story, the goal for reopening SR-20 through the North Cascades was July 4th.

At the time, that was an aggressive target because of the scale of damage crews were dealing with across a six-mile stretch of highway at over 2,000 feet of elevation.

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Now WSDOT has moved that target up by 10 days, making June 25 the new goal.

What Crews Are Actually Building Right Now

The May 20 update from WSDOT North gives the clearest picture yet of how complex this repair job actually is. Near milepost 145, crews are rebuilding a washed-out embankment from the absolute bottom up, and on Tuesday, they were nearing the top of the roadway.

In other areas between mileposts 142 and 148, crews are rebuilding the washed-away roadbed across multiple separate damage sites simultaneously. Both emergency contracts are running at the same time with 24/7 provisions in place as long as conditions allow.

The Rockslide Work Near Diablo Lake Continues

Also, the slope stabilization work near milepost 131, the rockslide site above Diablo Lake that we covered in earlier updates, is coming along. Crews are drilling holes into the rock face to anchor steel dowels that will physically stabilize the slope and prevent future rock falls onto the highway below.

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When WSDOT announced last week that the reopening target had moved up 10 days from the July 4th goal they stated just days before, it reflected real momentum on the ground. Both emergency contracts are now expected to wrap by June 25.

That is still weeks away, and mountain conditions can always introduce new complications.