04/30/2026
Good news!
SOME NEWS. Kind of good, kind of not. SR 20 North Cascades Highway is PARTIALLY REOPENING at 2 p.m. today, Thursday, April 30.
The iconic mountain pass will be open to all traffic from the east side gate to Porcupine Creek (MP 156), just west of Rainy Pass. There will be room for vehicles to turn around at the closure point at MP 156.
This partial reopening allows people to access more of the corridor from the east while keeping the active work zone between MP 130-156 closed for safety. The road is closed to ALL public access - including cyclists, hikers and other recreators - between those closure points.
We do not yet have a timeline for when we can expect to reopen the entire highway.
WHY THIS WORK TAKES SO LONG
We've heard the frustration and concerns that these repairs aren't being prioritized. We know people have seen us move quickly on other highway repairs across the state, and that can make this situation feel different.
Every repair comes with its own set of conditions. In some cases, we’re able to use emergency contracting methods that allow work to begin immediately and be completed in a short window. Those are typically situations where repairs can be done in 30 working days or less.
Given the extent of damage on SR 20, this work cannot be completed within 30 days, even if crews were working around the clock. Because of that, we are required to use a different contracting approach, which includes developing plans and allowing contractors to bid on the work.
From there, the work itself includes rebuilding sections of roadway where the ground beneath the pavement has washed away, stabilizing slopes, repairing drainage systems, and replacing damaged barriers and guardrail.
There's a lot more to dive in to regarding federal funding requirements, environmental review, permitting, and more, so if you want more details, check out our blog: https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/north-cascades-highway-2026-opening.html
We're ALL very eager for the full road to reopen. We'll keep you updated as soon as we get a good sense for a timeline. Thanks for bearing with us this year.
