Part of Highway 2 to reopen after flooding closure to allow Stevens Pass access

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — A section of U.S. Highway 2 from Leavenworth to Stevens Pass will partially reopen Monday morning after being closed for multiple days due to flooding, Gov. Bob Ferguson said Friday.

The reopening covers about 20 miles of highway between Coles Corner and Stevens Pass, allowing access to the ski resort from the east starting at 6 a.m. Monday. The limited opening is part of a larger 49-mile stretch of Highway 2 that has been closed since heavy rains and swollen rivers caused road collapses, landslides, and fallen trees.

“We all understand how critical reopening Highway 2 is for residents of our cities and communities, for our economy, for the ski resort, for travel across our state,” Ferguson said.

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Traffic will be reduced to a single lane near the summit, with a pilot car guiding vehicles for the final seven to eight miles approaching Stevens Pass, Ferguson said. The highway has been closed between Skykomish and Leavenworth since storms damaged several sections of roadway, cutting off one of the main passes across the Cascade Mountains during the holiday travel season.

Access from the west side of the pass, located at milepost 54 near Skykomish, remains closed and is expected to take longer to reopen as crews continue to assess the damage. A bridge just east of Skykomish presents “significant challenges,” and crews are removing debris from on and under the structure.

“So I do want to be clear,” Ferguson said. “Fully opening Highway 2 is going to take time, a long time.”

Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith said officials are still evaluating the full extent of the damage.

“Once they can complete a full inspection of that bridge and determine what damage is there, we will report what the next steps will be,” Meredith said. Officials expect to provide more information on Tuesday about access from the west.

WSDOT has reopened more than 90 roads damaged by recent storms statewide, though some routes require additional time and extensive repairs, Meredith said.

“Reopening a road is not just about clearing what you can see,” she said. “After storms like these, the greatest dangers are often the hidden ones – washed-out roadbeds, unstable slopes, undermined bridges, and saturated soils.”