North Cascades Highway clearing to begin this month

Published 7:40 am Friday, March 13, 2020

By Kimberly Cauvel / Skagit Valley Herald

While the spread of COVID-19 has many activities suspended through the end of the month, the state Department of Transportation announced this week that its annual snow-clearing along Highway 20 will forge ahead March 23.

A section of the highway, also called the North Cascades Highway, is closed each winter due to heavy snow and avalanche risks.

The highway closed Dec. 11 between Diablo and Winthrop.

The highway typically closes between mileposts 130 and 177 in November or December and tends to be reopened by May.

Over the past five years, the highway has reopened as early as April 3 and as late as May 16, according to Department of Transportation data.

Transportation crews determined after a March 10 avalanche chute survey that conditions should be safe to begin clearing snow and rock, as well as repairing avalanche damage to guardrails, by March 23, according to a news release.

Work will begin that day at the east end of the closure. Work at the west end of the closure, near Diablo, will begin a week later, on March 30.

Crews will work both directions Mondays through Thursday until they meet. This annual process to reopen the scenic highway through national park and national forest land typically takes about six weeks.

During the snow-clearing process, snow-based recreation is allowed on the still closed portion of the highway Fridays through Sundays.

Spring through fall, this section of highway completes the state’s Cascade Loop and opens access to dozens of hiking trails.