By David Rasbach / The Bellingham Herald
After wildfires forced the closure of the North Cascade Highway for nearly a month, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced it reopened the road earlier this week.
Though there are no current closures on Highway 20, fire response crews continue to use the highway for staging work, a WSDOT blog reported Monday, Aug. 9.
Because of this, speed between mileposts 166 and 172 is reduced to 35 mph and a pilot car is moving traffic through the area, and WSDOT advised to expect travel delays.
“Even with the reopening, there are still fires burning throughout the state that may affect travel and conditions can change quickly,” the blog stated. “Keep this in mind when preparing for your trip and make sure you have plenty of water, a full tank of gas and have checked our app or travel alert map for the most current information before you head out on a trip.”
The road was initially closed July 12 between mileposts 172 and 174, about 20 miles west of Winthrop and near Early Winters, to allow for fire response. The highway remained open on the west side, allowing access to the North Cascades National Park visitor center at Newhalem and nearby hiking trails, but passage to the east side of the state was not allowed.
Fires remain a concern in the region. Tuesday, Aug. 10, the U.S. National Forest Service issued a release about trail and road closures in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
According to the release, a lightning storm ignited several small fires within the national forest, with three fires located in the Darrington Ranger District, two in the Skykomish Ranger District and one each in the Mount Baker and Snoqualmie ranger districts.
The largest of the fires was the 15-acre Pincer Fire, located approximately 18 miles southeast of Marblemount in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. The fire has forced the closing of the Mount Baker Ranger District’s Cascade River Trail, Middle Fork Cascade Trail and South Fork Cascade Trail.
“We’re actively responding with the safest possible options in our toolbox to each and every fire as they are discovered,” Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Supervisor Jody Weil said in the news release. “The closure of specific roads and trails near the Pincer Creek fire will help keep the public safe as firefighters work in areas where they can safely engage.”
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