March 28, 2025

🌷 Heads Up, Drivers! Tulip Festival Traffic Ahead! 🌷

Spring has sprung, and the tulips are coming into full bloom! 🌸 But as we all know, where there are beautiful flowers, there’s often… traffic.   The Tulip Festival is going to start next week, and while we’re all for admiring the colorful show, we want to remind you to keep your eyes on the road – not just on the tulips! 🌷  Tips to avoid a petal-to-the-metal situation:  Eyes on the road, not the blooms!  It’s tempting to stop and take a picture of that perfect view, but please keep moving. Stopping on the road for a photo op could lead to a “blooming” traffic jam. 🚙📸 We’d prefer not to see any “petals” of congestion along the way.  Give yourself extra time  Tulip season means more visitors – and more vehicles! Make sure you give yourself a little extra time to “leaf” room for delays. Plan ahead and keep your schedule “rooted” in patience. ⏰🌼  Flower power, not petal power  While you’re enjoying the festival, remember that safety always comes first. The beauty of tulips can wait – don’t let your driving skills “wilt.” Stay focused and drive safe!  Drive slowly, don’t sprint  Tulip fields are stunning, but they’re not going anywhere! Keep a steady pace, enjoy the view when it’s safe, and let’s avoid any "stem-ing" traffic trouble. 🌷🚗💨  Remember, the flowers will still be there when you park and safely step out of your car. Let's keep the festival fun and safe for everyone. After all, it’s better to be a “bud” than to be “stuck” in a jam!  Stay safe, stay aware, and “petal” to the metal – but only when it’s safe to do so! 🚙💐

Learn about I-5 fish passage project between Bellingham and Burlington in online open house

A major effort to restore fish passage under both directions of Interstate 5 begins in late April between Bellingham and Burlington. You can learn all about it in an online open house that begins Monday, March 31.

We will remove 17 existing barriers to fish passage and replace them with 10 new structures designed to allow fish to swim freely under I-5 and adjacent county roads. This work, which will continue through 2027, will reconnect natural stream habitat for Lake Creek, Chuckanut Creek and unnamed tributaries to Friday Creek and Lake Creek along a 6-mile stretch of I-5 in south Whatcom and north Skagit counties.

The new fish passages also will update aging structures beneath I-5, creating more resilient roads and waterways.

Our online open house will help you learn about the I-5/Tributaries to Friday, Lake & Chuckanut Creeks - Fish Passage project, what to expect during construction, and why this work is necessary. It includes maps, timelines of tentative schedules and a look at what traveling on I-5 will look like during construction, which is expected to finish in 2027.

I-5 Friday, Lake and Chuckanut Creeks Fish Passage Online Open House Information

• When: Monday, March 31, until project completion in 2027
• Where: wsdot.wa.gov/i-5-tributaries-to-friday-lake-chuckanut-creeks/
• Details: The online open house is available anytime to visit, review materials and ask questions via the contact form.

Monday is the deadline to remove studded tires

The deadline is nearly here. Studded tires must be removed by the end of the day on Monday, March 31, to avoid a potential fine of $137.  "Studded tires cause between $20 million to $29 million in damage to Washington's state-owned roads each winter, in addition to damaging city and county roads," said WSDOT Maintenance Operations Manager James Morin. "There are many alternative traction options available. We encourage drivers to consider non-stud, winter-tread tires, which provide excellent traction without the road damage caused by metal studs." Studded tires are legal in Washington from Nov. 1 to March 31. There is no individual exception or "out of state waiver" to the studded tire dates. Tickets could be issued by the Washington State Patrol as soon as Tuesday, April 1. WSDOT does not issue tickets. Washington and Oregon share the same March 31 removal deadline, but other states may have different rules. All drivers—including visitors—must follow Washington's motor vehicle laws while in the state.

Preventing roadside litter starts with all of us

Roadside litter is a persistent issue that detracts from the beauty of our state and creates environmental risks to travelers, nearby businesses and property owners.

Addressing this problem requires strong partnerships among state agencies, organizations and communities, but the traveling public plays a crucial role too. The best solution is to stop litter from reaching roadways in the first place. By working together, we can keep Washington clean, safe and beautiful for everyone.

WSDOT and the Department of Ecology invest millions of dollars annually in roadside litter cleanup. In 2021 and 2022, both agencies spent approximately $12 million per year on litter and debris cleanup.

Despite these investments, crews are only able to collect a small fraction of the litter that ends up on our roadsides. This is why prevention is critical — stopping litter before it reaches the ground is the most cost effective and sustainable solution.

Here’s how you can help:

• Secure your load – every trip, every time.
• Hold onto your trash until you reach a waste receptacle.
• Do not dump trash at safety rest areas, parking lots or park and rides.
• Spread the word and make sure friends and family members keep a trash bag in their car.
• Join the Adopt-a-Highway program.

Construction, maintenance and special events

We often have special events and roadwork taking place in the Northend, including construction projects, maintenance and repairs. We always try to minimize any effects to travel, but sometimes it is necessary to close a lane to do the work or create a safe work zone for our crews. While we aren't doing a lot of roadwork this week, our crews will still be out monitoring and keeping the roads safe. If you spot them, slow down and give them space to work! A huge thanks to our crews for all their hard work through the holidays.  Want more information? Visit our real time travel center, where these projects and repairs can be found on our travel map, and download our app to receive alerts directly to your smartphone.

Monday, March 31, to Thursday, April 17

• From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays through Thursday, April 17, utility crews will intermittently alternate traffic on State Route 525 in Greenbank between Mohawk Road (milepost 24) and SR 20 (milepost 30) for roadwork.

Monday, March 31, to Friday, April 4

• Daily, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. utility crews will alternate traffic on SR 20 in Marblemount near Ranger Station Road (milepost 5) for utility work.

Monday, March 31, to Friday, April 18,

• From 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays through Fridays through Friday, April 18, utility crews will alternate traffic on SR 547/Kendall Road in Sumas between Wheeler Road (milepost 0) and Frost Road (milepost 6) for tree trimming.

Wednesday, April 2

• From 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. maintenance crews will close the southbound Interstate 5 off-ramp to SR 539/Guide Meridian Road in Bellingham for overhead sign replacement.

Thursday, April 3, to Friday morning, April 4

• From 9 p.m. Thursday, April 3, to 5 a.m. Friday, April 4, utility crews will alternate traffic on SR 544/East Pole Road in Lynden between Golf View Drive (milepost 1) and Hannagan Road (milepost 2) for roadwork.
• From 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3, to 5 a.m. Friday, April 4, utility crews will alternate traffic on SR 546/East Badger Road in Lynden east of Van Buren Road (milepost 8) for roadwork.

"Know before you go" resources:

• Weekly travel planner
• Seattle area traffic & cameras webpage
• WSDOT mobile app
• Construction and road closure webpage

Follow us on X/formerly Twitter @WSDOT_North

Madison Sehlke WSDOT communications Madison.Sehlke@wsdot.wa.gov