If you were planning a spring trip through the North Cascades, you have to wait because SR-20 is not an option right now.
A significant slope failure near Diablo Lake has shut down the highway from milepost 130 to 156, and WSDOT spent the last two days beginning what is going to be a long and careful repair process.
This is not a quick fix. And the updates from May 5 and 6 make that very clear.
Day One — May 5, Getting to Work
WSDOT kicked off the first of two emergency contracts needed to repair and reopen the North Cascades Highway. The initial focus was on stabilizing the slope and beginning to clear debris near Diablo Lake at milepost 131.
Just getting equipment into position in that terrain is a job in itself. The closure at this point covered the full stretch from milepost 130 to 156, and WSDOT was firm that this includes hikers, bikers, and campers. There is no access. Period.
Day Two — May 6, The Delicate Work Begins
By the next day, on May 6, crews had equipment on site and began the process known as scaling. That is a careful, methodical technique where workers dislodge loose rocks and debris from the slope before they can fall on their own terms.
It sounds straightforward, but it is genuinely dangerous and painstaking work on an unstable mountainside.
WSDOT confirmed scaling will continue for several days while SR 20 remains fully closed from milepost 130 to 156 with no exceptions.
It will be worth the wait. But for now, find another way and let these crews do their work safely.
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