 July 11, 2025
 The Iron Throne? More like the Orange Barrel Cone. Summer construction in the North is here. So is roadwork and improvements, fish passage construction and bridge repairs. Winter is coming … Crews are racing the clock in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and North Snohomish counties to wrap up critical projects before cold weather halts paving, striping, and concrete work. Expect an uptick in activity as we take advantage of warm weather before the rain comes.
Daenerys had dragons. We’ve got paving trucks for the I-5/SB Nooksack River to Blaine Paving project
(Whatcom County, between mileposts 263 and 273)
- What do dragons and paving have in common? They both make traveling easier. This project will resurface a 10‑mile stretch of southbound Interstate 5 in Whatcom County, between the Nooksack River and Blaine, addressing deterioration like potholes, cracks, and ruts.
- Starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will replace failing pavement on segments of southbound I-5 and make repairs where on-ramps connect to the interstate.
- Work includes milling existing pavement, hot‑mix asphalt overlay, shoulder fog sealing, guardrail upgrades, rumble strips, flexible guideposts, traffic‑loop replacements, and bridge joint sealing.
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"The realm cannot be rebuilt in a day." NWR North/Strategic Pavement Preservation
(Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Snohomish and King counties)
- Pavement improvements will sweep across the region for the next two years. This multi-county effort includes crack sealing, patching, and concrete panel replacement on busy highways, including I-5 in Seattle and Shoreline.
- Work will take place at night; people should plan for lane and ramp closures and slower speeds.
- Check real-time travel map for updates: wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/
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All folks must yield… to flaggers, especially for the SR 542 Bagley Creek Bridge Scour
(between Glacier and Artist Point)
- And single lane closures… Crews will reduce SR 542 to a single lane near Bagley Creek this summer to make improvements to Bagley bridge. Flaggers or temporary signals will guide traffic, with short-term delays expected during active work windows. Our flaggers are the true protectors of the realm (work zones and your commute).
- Beginning July 17, a round-the-clock traffic signal will alternate eastbound and westbound traffic through the work zone through mid-September. Flaggers also will alternate traffic from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays during the two-month lane reduction near milepost 49.
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"Brace Yourselves… Bypass lane is coming." SR 20/UNT to Coal Creek Fish Passage
(Between Sedro-Woolley and Burlington)
- On State Route 20 between Coal Creek Lane and Hoehn Road (milepost 70), the project replaces a narrow 6‑ft box with a 20‑ft fish‑passage structure. It includes installation of the culvert structure, grading, paving, guardrails, erosion control, traffic measures, and revegetation.
- In this case, 15-days on bypass lanes around this fish passage construction. The Cones have claimed SR 20 through Fall 2025. Use alternate routes and allow extra travel time.
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In the Game of Cones, you slow down… or you lose. Work zone safety isn't a game, travel like lives depend on it, because they do. Be like the Night’s Watch: stay alert, plan ahead and give yourself extra time. Construction is here.
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.
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.
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Sunday, July 13
- From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., the northbound I-5 off-ramp to Lakeway Drive (exit 253) will close for brush cutting maintenance work.
Monday, July 14 to Wednesday, July 16
- From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and again on Monday, July 21, both directions of State Route 542/Mount Baker Highway between Glacier Creek Rest Area and Chandelier Lodge (mileposts 33-34) will alternate through a single lane with flaggers on site for Ziply work.
Monday, July 14 to Thursday, July 17
- Weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 14 through Thursday, July 17, both directions of State Route 9 at Kalloch Road (milepost 59) will alternate through a single lane with flaggers on site for Astound utility work.
- From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning, both directions of State Route 544/East Pole Road between State Route 539/Guide Meridian Road and State Route 9 (mileposts 0-9) will alternate traffic through a single lane with flaggers on site for construction on the Northwest Region/North and South Strategic Pavement Preservation project.
Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 18
- Weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday, July 31, both directions of State Route 525 on Whidbey Island just south of Admiral Drive (milepost 30) will alternate traffic through a single lane for Madsen work.
- Weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. both directions of State Route 20 between Hamilton East Limits (milepost 77) and Challenger Road (milepost 85) will alternate traffic through a single lane with flaggers on site for PSE utility work.
- Until Further Notice: From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, a single lane will be closed along State Route 20 just east of the Swinomish Casino and Lodge (milepost 52). State Route 20 will have one lane in each direction open at all times.
- Until Further Notice: Beginning Tuesday, July 15, and daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., both directions of State Route 542/Mount Baker Highway will alternate traffic through a single lane with flaggers on site at the Bagley Creek Bridge (milepost 49). This is for work on the Bagley Creek Bridge Scour Repair.
- Until further notice, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, SnoPUD crews will alternate traffic on State Route 530 between 171st Avenue Northeast (milepost 29) and Oso Loop Road (milepost 34) for vegetation clearing/trimming and utility line work.
- Weeknights from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. the next morning, beginning Monday, July 14 through Friday, July 18, a single right lane on southbound I-5 at the Skagit River Bridge will close for spalling and expansion joint repairs.
Tuesday, July 15
- From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, a single left lane on northbound I-5 near Nulle Road (milepost 242-244) will close for guardrail repairs.
- From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., a single right lane on southbound I-5 just north of the State Route 11/Chuckanut Drive interchange will close for guardrail and mowing work.
- From 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., there will be occasional traffic holds affecting both directions of State Route 20 just west of Cabin Creek Road (milepost 76) for Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians surveying work.
Wednesday, July 16
- From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. a single left lane on northbound I-5 near Nulle Road (mileposts 243-244) will close for brush cutting work.
- From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the Cook Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 (milepost 233) will close for guardrail repairs.
Wednesday, July 16 to Friday, July 18
- From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning, a single lane of southbound I-5 will close at the State Route 548/Grandview Road interchange. The southbound I-5 off-ramp to State Route 548/Grandview Road (Exit 266) and the State Route 548/Grandview Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 will also be closed. This is for construction on the Southbound I-5 Nooksack River to Blaine Paving Project.
Thursday, July 17
- From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. both directions of State Route 20 at Madrona Way (milepost 25) on Whidbey Island will alternate traffic through a single lane with flaggers on site for PSE work.
Thursday, July 17 through Thursday, July 31
- Weeknights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning, beginning , both directions of State Route 20 between Southeast 3rd Avenue/Southeast Cabot Drive and Northeast Midway Boulevard/Northeast Goldie Road (mileposts 32-33) in the City of Oak Harbor will alternate traffic through a single lane with flaggers on site for Ziply work.
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