North Cascades Highway opening in time for Juneteenth

The North Cascades Highway, otherwise known as Highway 20, will fully reopen June 19, just in time for the Juneteenth weekend after undergoing some emergency repairs due to a March rockslide.

Although it is reopening a few days before its projected timeline of June 25, this is the latest the North Cascades Highway has opened in its 54-year history, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The highway is closed to vehicles, bicycles, hikers and campers between Ross Dam Trailhead near milepost 134 and Porcupine Creek gate near milepost 156 while crews are at work.

Last year, the highway reopened April 22. But this year, a washout damaged road supports and embankments during heavy flooding in December and a rockslide in March buried the roadway under an estimated 200 feet of debris.

Crews began work on two emergency repair contracts in May to stabilize the slope, remove debris, rebuild the embankment, restore the collapsed roadway and repair damaged drainage, guardrail and concrete barriers.

The highway originally closed Dec. 4 between milepost 134 and milepost 178 at Early Winters and partially reopened from the east side on April 30.

Drivers can see road conditions and closures using the WSDOT mobile app, the mountain passes page, the live travel map, or by subscribing to email alerts and updates.

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