Bellingham-area mudslide: No estimate on when northbound I-5 will reopen

The tough task of clearing several tons of rocks, mud, trees and other debris from the northbound lanes of I-5 near Bellingham began on Sunday.

The Washington Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) signed an emergency contract with a company that will start the arduous assignment of moving dirt and boulders from a huge mudslide that covered the freeway Thursday evening.

Some of the gigantic rocks are bigger then the size of a bus.

The agency has chosen Interwest Construction Inc. to perform the emergency work.

Officials signed the emergency contract Saturday.

The Burlington, Washington-based construction company is the same firm that cleared another slide on SR 11, also known as Chuckanut Drive, last spring.

There is currently no estimate on when the northbound lanes of I-5 will reopen, but WSDOT officials say work crews will work seven days a week to get it done as quickly as possible.

Authorities stress, however, that the soil is unstable, and the safety of those work crews and the traveling public is its highest priority.

Because the work to clear away mud is risky and possibly even dangerous, it will only take place during daylight hours.

For drivers headed north toward Canada, traffic on I-5 is being forced to take Exit 246, at N. Lake Samish Rd.

But local roads in that area are not large enough to handle freight traffic.

Officials are urging drivers to takes two alternatives:  SR 9 and SR 11 to bypass the closure.

Flaggers will help drivers exit northbound I-5 on an off-ramp at North Lake Samish Road and prioritize traffic exiting during daylight hours to improve traffic flow.

WSDOT officials reported emergency work began Saturday after the slide Thursday night sent thousands of cubic yards of earth and rock down a slope and across the freeway lanes.

Contractor crews were scheduled to move a lot of heavy equipment into the area over the weekend.

The work to begin clearing trees and debris started Sunday.

Engineers are also working on a full geotechnical report that is due to be completed by the early part of this week.

WSDOT says the slide is comprised of a 100-foot-wide field of debris between Mileposts 248 and 249.

It’s believed to have resulted in about 2,000 to 3,000 cubic yards of debris oozing down a 60-to 80-foot slope toward the interstate.

While the boulders as large as buses are the biggest, there are other hefty-sized rocks about the size of pickup trucks that remain unstable and unsupported.

WSDOT geotechnical engineers began assessing slope stability Friday, and immediately became concerned about potential movement high in the debris pile.

Teams began developing plans for stabilzing the top of the slope.

Geologists say the area is known for slides.

WSDOT maintenance crews routinely remove hazardous trees and other vegetation in that part of the I-5 corridor.

Crews also do a lot of work in that area to clear drains and culverts to help reduce the risk of big slides.

There is a concrete barrier and netting installed by WSDOT crews near the freeway shoulder, to catch smaller slides and prevent debris from reaching the roadway.

But during the rainy season, and the occurrence of atmospheric rivers, larger mudslides can happen and force highway closures.

WSDOT officials are asking people not to approach the work zone or fly drones above it, for their own safety and the safety of crews.

The state hopes to provide updates about the repair plan and timeline by Wednesday.