North Cascades Highway Opened Today

WINTHROP – After five weeks, Washington State Department of Transportation crews swung open the gates to traffic at 11 a.m. Friday, April 22.

Crews began the clearing process on State Route 20 on March 17. Last year it took crews only three weeks to clear the highway. The earliest opening ever was on March 10, 2005, but two weeks later snow closed the highway for another 10 days, reopening again on April 4. There was one year, 1977, when the highway never closed due to a drought.

“We all live up here and know it’s important for local businesses to have the highway open as soon as it’s safe,” said Don Becker, WSDOT Maintenance Supervisor.

The late-morning reopening allowed the crew to sweep the 37-mile closure zone for rocks and debris, clear any snow below avalanche chutes and apply sand or deicer as needed. For more information, including a history of opening and closing dates, maps, photos and progress reports on the 2016 opening, visit the North Cascades web page.