Highway 2 reopens Saturday as crews stabilize neighboring hillsides 

Highway 2 between Index and Skykomish reopened Saturday morning, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced.

🗣OPEN: After completing the daily post-fire corridor inspection, crews have reopened US 2 between Index-Galen Rd & Beckler Rd with a reduced speed limit of 30 mph. This remains an evolving situation & your patience is appreciated as clean up & fire fighting efforts continue. pic.twitter.com/FOCJTcbvck

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) September 24, 2022

State crews cut hundreds of trees in an effort to repair damage from the Bolt Creek fire to eliminate any threat of the massive arbors falling onto drivers.

James Poling, a spokesperson with WSDOT, told KIRO Newsradio burned trees were the greatest concern. He said there were trees up to four feet wide crashing onto the road, destabilizing the hillside and making it extremely dangerous for drivers.

“Those types of trees sometimes fell on their own,” he said. “They’d crash down 80, 90 feet, gathering speed down the hill.”

Here is some video of felling a tree taken by our crews who are working alongside our partners on US 2. pic.twitter.com/vJZGgkELZc

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) September 22, 2022

Poling said the conditions have been dangerous even for their skilled workers.

“It’s been a huge hazard for everybody working up there, and we’re very grateful for the work that they’ve done in these previous situations,” he said.

WSDOT says even after reopening, the project likely involves work through November.

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