Washington state’s U.S. Highway 2 shutdown since Sept. 10
The Bolt Creek fire in Snohomish County, Washington has now burned more than 10,000 acres and forced the closure on Sept. 10 of U.S. Highway 2.
However, the highway may be reopening by early next week, according to an update from the Washington State Department of Transportation Twitter page.
UPDATE: Crews are working toward a US 2 reopening on Monday, 9/26. They continue to remove burned roadside trees that still pose a threat to public safety. Arborists with state parks removed 50-60 burned trees this AM & continue this work until immediate dangers are mitigated. pic.twitter.com/OnjBLOLAP1
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) September 21, 2022
The threat of burned trees falling onto the road as well as rockfalls and other debris were the catalysts for the closure of this stretch of highway between Index, Wash., and Skykomish, Wash., about an hour east of Seattle.
A Sept. 22 update on a Bolt Creek fire information Facebook page said WSDOT has completed its dangerous-tree assessment and the highway will have reduced speeds and possible delays when it reopens.
Several evacuations were in effect for areas along the Money Creek Tunnel and U.S. 2, including the communities of Index, Skykomish, Baring and Grotto as of Sept. 21, according to a report by KING-TV in Seattle.
The latest incident information outlook from the Northwest Region Department of Natural Resources posted at 10:46 p.m. Pacific Time on Sept. 22 said, “Operations will continue along U.S. Highway 2 corridor from Halford to Skykomish to limit fire impacts to communities, private property, critical power and transportation infrastructure.”
Crews will work to ensure the fire remains north of U.S. Highway 2, said the incident update.
Watch the latest briefing video from NWIM Team8 below. LL
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