BELLINGHAM — A Washington state highways spokesman says work is expected to begin soon to reroute a portion of the Mount Baker Highway away from the Nooksack River, thus protecting the roadway from erosion.
The Bellingham Herald reported the river rose to near flood stage last Friday, further eroding a bank along a 1,000-foot stretch of the highway west of Glacier Springs.
State Transportation Department spokesman Tom Pearce says the river was within 10 feet of the white line on the highway’s eastbound lane in that area. The eastbound lane was closed Sunday and traffic signals allow one direction of traffic at a time.
Pearce says the lane closure and the signals will be in place until a new section of highway is completed, probably in about three months.
Recent bank erosion moved up the timeline for the $3 million project.
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