Landslide forces full closure of NB I-5 near Bellingham, 3K cubic yards of debris

A landslide caused a full closure of the northbound I-5 lanes just south of Bellingham at MP 249 Thursday night.

The road will likely be closed overnight, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported Friday afternoon via Facebook.

Active movement on the slope is preventing crews from being able to clear the area safely.

“We know this is frustrating, but cleanup isn’t just a matter of loading debris into trucks. Our crews have to be precise and methodical to ensure it’s done safely,” WSDOT stated.

At approximately 10:45 p.m., several trees had fallen into the roadway, blocking the lanes entirely, Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Kelsey Harding announced.

As of 5:40 a.m. Friday, all northbound traffic was being diverted off I-5 at N. Lake Sammamish Road at exit 246.

Debris equivalent to nearly 200 dump truck loads clogs I-5 near Bellingham

Early Friday morning, WSDOT noted roughly 3,000 cubic yards of material were blocking the roadway. Putting the numbers in perspective, a WSDOT dump truck can carry 16 yards in one load on average.

UPDATE 8:30AM: Crews just sent these photos of NB I-5 south of Bellingham where all lanes remain closed due to slide activity. Geotechs will be on site this AM.

Roughly 2-3000 cubic yards of material is blocking the road. For context, the avg. WSDOT dump truck carries 16 yards. https://t.co/LqgqUQEj2w pic.twitter.com/h8cS4gW977

— WSDOT North (@wsdot_north) March 20, 2026

WSDOT confirmed that geotechs would be on site Friday morning, assessing the situation.

There is currently no estimated time for when all lanes would reopen.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.