Road crews continue I-5 landslide cleanup near Bellingham, WA
I-5 near Bellingham remains closed after landslide
A stretch of northbound I-5 south of Bellingham remains closed following a landslide earlier this month. Crews are stabilizing the slope as drivers are urged to use alternate routes including SR-9 and SR-11.
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - WSDOT has announced that contracted crews continue work to get drivers back on the road more than a week after a landslide shut down a long stretch of I-5 near Bellingham, Washington.
As of Sunday afternoon, road crews, engineers, and state officials were still at work to break up boulders and clear roadways.
In the meantime, drivers are encouraged to take State Route 9 or State Route 11.
The backstory:
The Mar. 19 landslide led to a full closure of the highway's northbound lanes near Bellingham. With trees cleared out, the state now has the task of breaking up large boulders and clearing more dirt and debris.
The work will transition to stabilizing the hillside to prevent further sliding or risks to drivers.
On Mar. 21, state leaders announced they were working to secure an emergency contract with teams who had the necessary knowledge and equipment to get the roadway back open as soon as possible.
Construction crews work to clear landslide debris from I-5 northbound lanes near Bellingham, Washington
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation.