North Cascades Highway slated for latest reopening since the 70s
Mar 24, 2017, 11:41 AM | Updated: 11:46 am
An abundance of mountain snow this winter will have ramifications for summer travelers.
Related: Why Seattle has so many potholes this season
What typically takes four to six weeks, clearing the North Cascades Highway (Highway 20) may take eight weeks, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
“An early opening is in time for the lowland fishing season opening, the third week in April. A typical opening is by the first weekend in May for Winthrop’s ‘49’er Days,’” said Washington State Department of Transportation Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker. “We’ve only been closed through Memorial Day once in 40 years, but it could happen this year.”
April 10 is the planned start date for clearing the route. That is almost a month later than work typically begins in mid-March.
Last year, clearing began on march 17 and the highway opened about one month later.
The latest reopening on record was June 14, 1974.
This winter’s high volume of snow through the 34-mile closed section of the highway is to blame for the closure, according to the state. Avalanches closed the highway in November.
The highway is closed between mileposts 134, east of Diablo, and 178, 14 miles west of Mazama.
This winter has produced buckets of rain in lowland areas of Western Washington and heavy snowfall in the Cascades and Olympics.
Earlier this month, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency for 28 counties affected by severe weather.
The governor’s office said in a news release Wednesday that winter storms from Jan. 30 through Feb. 22 produced high winds, heavy snowfall, ice accumulation and significant rainfall. The storms caused power outages, damage to roads and public utilities, delays and cancellations within the state ferry system and at major airports and damage to homes and businesses.
The governor’s office estimated the damage to roads at more than $10 million. Inslee’s action will allow requests for federal dollars for those repairs and help in other areas.
The proclamation includes the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Pend Oreille, Pierce, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom and Whitman.
