WSDOT sets dates to relocate popular painted boulder south of Bellingham

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said Thursday, April 16, 2026, they will be relocating a boulder set alongside northbound I-5 that has been a popular community billboard of sorts for about 50 years. The work is expected to start about April 20, 2026.

The boulder is located within a construction area at Chuckanut Creek where crews are replacing culverts that block fish passage.

Relocation of the boulder is necessary because it sits within the footprint of the construction project. WSDOT regulations prohibit placing the boulder within limited access areas, such as along I-5 or ramps.

WSDOT crews will start removing paint and hazardous materials, including lead and cadmium, from the boulder’s surface and surrounding soil as early as April 13, 2026. Soil between 6 inches and 2 feet deep will be removed. Small tools and chemicals will be used to chip and dissolve paint layers.

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The boulder weighs more than 100 tons and cannot be moved intact. Crews will break it into smaller pieces by drilling holes and using expansive grout to create cracks. No explosives will be used.

WSDOT has a tentative agreement to move the boulder to private land in Bellingham. The owner has agreed to allow public access. If the owner does not take possession, WSDOT will distribute pieces of the boulder to the public.

The work is part of a project to restore fish passage at Friday, Lake, and Chuckanut creeks. This effort is intended to comply with a federal court injunction requiring the state to open habitat for salmon and other species.

Contractor crews began work on the Lake, Friday, and Chuckanut creeks project in 2025. The project involves removing 17 culverts under Interstate 5 (I-5) near Lake Samish and replacing them with 10 new structures. Work at Chuckanut Creek includes building 3 bridges on I-5 and Old Samish Road.

Northbound and southbound I-5 traffic will shift onto temporary 2-lane bypass roads during spring and summer construction. Old Samish Road will close while crews build a bridge over Chuckanut Creek. The right lane of northbound I-5 will close periodically west of the North Lake Samish exit during the boulder relocation.