BELLINGHAM – A major effort to restore fish passage under both directions of Interstate 5 begins in late April between Bellingham and Burlington.
The Washington State Department of Transportation will remove 17 existing barriers to fish passage and replace them with 10 new structures designed to allow fish to swim freely under I-5 and adjacent county roads. This work, which will continue through 2027, will reconnect natural stream habitat for Lake Creek, Chuckanut Creek and unnamed tributaries to Friday Creek and Lake Creek along a 6-mile stretch of I-5 in south Whatcom and north Skagit counties.
The new fish passages also will update aging structures beneath I-5, creating more resilient roads and waterways.
WSDOT invites people to learn more about the project at an online open house starting Monday, March 31.
The online open house will help people learn about the I-5/Tributaries to Friday, Lake & Chuckanut Creeks - Fish Passage project, what to expect during construction, and why this work is necessary. It includes maps, timelines of tentative schedules and a look at what traveling on I-5 will look like during construction, which is expected to finish in 2027.
I-5 Friday, Lake and Chuckanut Creeks Fish Passage Online Open House information
- When: Monday, March 31, 2025, until project completion in 2027
- Where: engage.wsdot.wa.gov/i-5-tributaries-to-friday-lake-chuckanut-creeks/
- Details: The online open house is available anytime for the public to visit, review materials and ask questions via the contact form.
Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service in locations throughout the state. The Department of Commerce’s Drive-In WiFi Hotspot locator provides available places to log on.