Drivers heading to Whidbey Island face 73 days of one-lane traffic near Deception Pass
Jul 28, 2026, 5:00 AM | Updated: 4:01 pm
Getting on and off Whidbey Island from the north is not going to be easy for the next year or more. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is building a roundabout to replace the three-way intersection at Campbell Lake Road. That’s about four miles north of Deception Pass.
The tiny Tibbles Creek runs through the same area, spilling into Campbell Lake. WSDOT is using this $3 million project to fix the road and help the fish.
“The roundabout will help improve safety and mobility at the three-way intersection,” WSDOT spokesperson Elizabeth Mount said. “The project will also re-channelize Tibbles Creek through the WSDOT mitigation site that’s just east of the interchange, and this work will improve the quality of the stream for native fish.”
19 straight days of one-lane traffic starting mid-August
SR 20 will be reduced to one lane Wednesday night to help build a work zone in the area, and then drivers can expect up to 19 straight days of one-lane alternating traffic through the area, starting in mid-August.
“That’s when crews will build up the roadbed beneath eastbound SR 20 to meet that final grade of the roundabout,” Mount said. “A temporary layer of asphalt will be applied to be used by the eastbound traffic during that settlement period.”
The contractor needs to raise the road level significantly, and that’s why they are building this roundabout in multiple phases.
“We’ll be raising the road this year, and because of the poor soils in the area, we need to wait and see if any of it settles,” WSDOT spokesperson Melissa Ambler said. “We’ll be back next year. We’ll survey the area and see if we’re still at the proper elevation, and if we’re not, then we’ll build it up again and then build the roundabout.”
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Whidbey Island drivers face another 54 days of single-lane traffic next year
SR 20 should look relatively normal over that settlement period, but contractors will be back next spring for the lion’s share of the work. Nearly two months of lane reductions will be necessary to finish the work in 2027.
“This work will require SR 20 to be reduced to a single lane for up to 54 days,” Mount said. “Campbell Lake Road also will be reduced to a single lane for up to 40 days.”
About 19,000 vehicles a day use SR 20 in this area. Drivers should expect significant delays, especially during the busy summer season next month.
The final schedule for the 19-day closure has not been released. Traffic will be managed with temporary traffic signals.
The project is being funded by the Samish Indian Nation.
Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
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