Traffic woes in Bellingham are being dealt with while work continues on closed I-5 lanes while

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Northbound I-5 remains closed south of Bellingham at North Lake Samish Road (Exit 246) following a landslide on Thursday, March 19, 2026. As of March 31, 2026, the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has not provided an estimated time for reopening the roadway.

Northbound I-5 traffic has been diverted off I-5 at the N Lake Samish off-ramp and WSDOT officials have stated local roads are not suitable for semi-trucks.

WSDOT officials say an advisory is in place directing commercial traffic off I-5 at Cook Road in Skagit County, east to SR9, north to Mount Baker Highway (SR542) and west back onto I-5 northbound at Sunset Drive interchange. Not all commercial traffic has been following the advisory.

Bellingham Police Department (BPD) officials stated they are addressing semi-truck traffic on Samish Way. BPD officials stated, “Samish Way is not a truck route, but it also does not have a weight restriction on it. We are working with several agencies to determine what some options are.”

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BPD scheduled emphasis patrols in evening hours to address speeding and the use of compression brakes. During an emphasis on Monday, 13 drivers were stopped and issued infractions for violations on Samish Way.

Crews began scaling the slope on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to remove hazardous trees and loose rocks. On Thursday, boulders were moved to the base of the slope to improve stability. Work on Friday and Saturday included scaling on the upper portion of the slope and the placement of drilling anchors.

On Sunday, work focused on breaking boulders using expansive grout. As of Monday, the focus shifted to drilling holes for steel dowels between 15 and 25 feet long to stabilize the top of the slope. WSDOT also installed temporary fencing as a precaution to prevent rocks from reaching the roadway.

WSDOT officials said the work is being performed 7 days a week and that the road remains closed because “this work happens from the top down, and conditions change as we go.”