Northbound lanes of I-5 south of Bellingham remain closed

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Both northbound lanes of I-5 remain closed between the N Lake Samish Drive and Old Fairhaven Parkway interchanges due to slides that occurred last night, Thursday, March 19, 2026.

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) provided an update this morning saying, “Roughly 2-3000 cubic yards of material is blocking the road. For context, the avg. WSDOT dump truck carries 16 yards.”

WSDOT geotechnical engineers are expected to arrive this morning expected to assess the stability of the slope above the roadway.

No estimate for how long it will take to remove the boulders, trees and debris or to stabilize the slope has been given.

As of 9:30am, there was a 3-mile northbound traffic backup to the N Lake Samish Drive off-ramp.