Fiber optic repairs halt I-5 traffic data north of Marysville

Published 12:14 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2025

EVERETT — Necessary repairs to a fiber optic cable damaged by rodents will limit real-time traffic data for much of I-5 in northern Washington on Thursday.

The Washington State Department of Transportation provides data online through traffic cameras and maps showing real-time delays on the interstate. It also uses overhead message boards to inform drivers of traffic delays while they’re on the road.

But many of those services will be unavailable between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday along I-5 from Marysville all the way north to the Canadian border, the department wrote in a release Wednesday. Information on wait times at the northern border may also be affected, the department wrote.

The repair work will take place off the roadway near Mount Vernon.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.