Traffic Impacts and Road Advisories

SR 20 North Cascades Highway is now fully open

FROM WSDOT -- June 14, 2026

You're reading that correctly! We fully reopened SR 20 North Cascades Highway in both directions
Sunday, June 14, after two emergency repair projects wrapped up work. Hey, I thought you had heard the last of me, too, but it seems we were destined for a Lucky Week 13 update.

We've added a few "finishing touches" photos to our album, so take a look at the SR 20 Flickr album.

Ties the latest reopening on record

This June 14 opening matches 1974 for the latest opening of the scenic seasonal highway since we began keeping records in 1972. But Sunday’s opening comes nearly three weeks before the Fourth of July, which was the goal we set for fully reopening North Cascades Highway in early May. It's also five days earlier than the updated timeline we forecasted last week.

Shout out to our crews and contractors

Skagit County contractors Trimaxx Construction Inc. and Interwest Construction Inc. each worked seven days a week and completed their emergency contracts in fewer than the allowable working days.

Interwest stabilized a slope and removed debris from a rockslide that occurred in March near Diablo Lake (milepost 131). That work finished on May 30. Since May 13, Trimaxx focused on repairing washout damage along SR 20
between Canyon Creek Trailhead and the Granite Creek vicinity (mileposts 142-148).

Watch out for wildlife!

I know many of you are eager to hit the open road. If you do, please watch for wildlife. They haven't seen vehicles traveling at highway speeds through the area in a while. Workers have reported many deer and bear sightings - many with young - on or near the roadway. It will take them a while to transition to the North Cascades Highway being fully open.

Happy summer, enjoy the open road, and thanks to locals, travelers, recreators, and SR 20 enthusiasts alike for bearing with us during this unconventional journey towards reopening.

Rachel Terlep, Statewide Social Media Manager
rachel.terlep@wsdot.wa.gov

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The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) does an amazing job of keeping our roadways safe and well-maintained. They also are an essential partner in keeping us and our travelers informed about any accidents, closures, or other issues that can impact the normal flow of traffic. Be sure to check out your itinerary using the following resources before you head out!

Washington State Department of Transportation

Travel Alerts-REAL TIME MAP

WSDOT Resources

Traffic Alerts	Stevens Pass (SR 2)	North Cascades Highway (SR 20)	Winter Driving Tips
Anacortes Ferry Terminal	Clinton Ferry Terminal	Coupeville Ferry Terminal	Mukilteo Ferry Terminal

Wildfire and Smoke Safety

Summer season often brings news of wildland and forest fires in the high country near the Cascade Loop. Very rarely travel is impacted by these fires, but occasionally a highway closure or flagger controlled traffic revisions are put in place to assure safe travel.

If fires near the roadway threaten travel, we will post alerts on social media and on this page (find it easily as a 'Travel Alert' bar at the top of every page)

To follow fire activity, these public links are updated by the appropriate agencies regularly:

INCIWEB
https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/

Northwest Large Fire Interactive Web Map
https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/firemap.php

Washington Smoke Blog
https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/p/national-interagency-fire-information.html

Chelan County Emergency Management
https://www.facebook.com/CCSOEM/

Okanogan County Emergency Management
https://www.facebook.com/Okanogan.County.Emergency.Management/

Air Quality Reports
https://enviwa.ecology.wa.gov/mobile/

Be Prepared for Smoke Season

No one can see the future, but you can plan the best vacation possible with travel alert resources on this page

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Special thanks to Voortex Productions (Follow them on Facebook and Instagram)

and

Jamie Petitto (Follow Jamie on Facebook and Instagram)

Traffic Impacts and Road Advisories

SR 20 North Cascades Highway is now fully open

Washington State Department of Transportation

Wildfire and Smoke Safety

Be Prepared for Smoke Season

Video made possible in part with assistance from Okanogan County Tourism and Chelan County Tourism Hotel-Motel Tax funds

Travel Alerts