Northbound I-5 Bellingham Slide - Emergency

From WSDOT:

On Thursday, March 19, 2026, debris slides along northbound Interstate 5 near Bellingham brought thousands of cubic yards of boulders, trees and other debris down a slope and across nearby lanes of the freeway. Combined, the slides carved a debris field more than 250 feet wide between mileposts 248 and 249 and sent an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 cubic yards of debris down a 60- to 80-foot slope toward northbound I-5 lanes below.

Boulders, some as big as buses and many others larger than a pickup truck, remain unstable and unsupported. Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation began work Saturday, March 21, clearing debris and stabilizing the slope. Due to safety concerns with an unstable slope, crews can only work during daylight hours, but will work 7 days a week until the roadway reopens.

There is no estimated timeline to reopen northbound I-5 at this time, but WSDOT and contractor crews are working to reopen lanes as soon as it is safe to do so.

What to expect

Northbound I-5 south of Bellingham remains closed, and all northbound traffic needs to exit at North Lake Samish Road (exit 246).

People traveling through the area are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternate routes, such as SR 11 or SR 9. Local roads and SR 11 are not suitable for semi-trucks and freight traffic. Freight traffic should use SR 9 and SR 542.

Travelers also should expect longer delays on I-5. Flaggers will control the intersection of the northbound I-5 off-ramp and North Lake Samish Road to prioritize traffic exiting northbound I-5 during daylight hours and improve traffic flow when volumes are heaviest.

The slide in the immediate area remains active and the northbound lanes of I-5 are currently an active work zone with heavy machinery. For their own safety and the safety of crews working to reopen northbound I-5, people should not attempt to approach the area or fly drones over it.