Clearing of the North Cascades Highway will continue

(NORTH CASCADES)- Week one of the 2024 North Cascades spring clearing work has been completed, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The eastside clearing crew started work on Monday, March 25 at Silver Star gate (milepost 171) and reported about 31 inches of compact snow on the road, the bottom 15 inches or so being hard pack on the road surface. The blower and D8 dozer are able to move the big stuff, with one of the crew following in a grader to break up the solid stuff. The crew reached milepost 165, about halfway through the Cutthroat avalanche paths on the east side of Washington Pass.

The spring opening of the North Cross provides an alternative route that mean a much shorter trip across the state for many travelers. When planning a trip over the North Cascades, remember that there is only a narrow window of time to do necessary work in the mountains, and you can expect to encounter some kind of road work on your trip.

During the week, the road behind the closure points is a work zone. For the safety of you and the work crew, please stay out of the area during working hours.

For now, the road is otherwise closed and unmaintained between milepost 134 and 171, and there is no cell service on the passes. If you choose to visit the back country on the weekends, please check in on conditions with the Northwest Avalanche Center.