STANWOOD – Is this the Fellowship of the Two Streams? Either way, people traveling through northern Snohomish and southern Whatcom counties, “You shall bypass!” for two Interstate 5 fish barrier removal projects. Just remember, “Not all of those who wander are lost.”
Beginning early Friday, June 27, people traveling on northbound I-5 near Stanwood will need to follow bypass lanes to allow work to continue into the next phase of the I-5 Secret Creek Fish Passage project. Southbound I-5 traffic in the area shifted to a bypass earlier this year.
A similar journey will begin just south of Bellingham for travelers along southbound I-5 starting late Sunday, June 29, for another I-5 fish barrier removal project at Lake Creek.
I-5 Secret Creek bypass
Starting at 5 a.m. Friday, June 27, people traveling on northbound I-5 (between milepost 211 and 212) will shift onto a temporary two-lane bypass. This bypass was built in the median between northbound and southbound I-5.
- Traffic switch: To support the move to the bypass lanes, lane closures and rolling slowdowns will occur from 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, until 5 a.m. Friday, June 27.
- Reduced speed limit in I-5 work zone: While traffic uses the bypass lanes, the speed limit temporarily will be reduced to 60 mph within the work zone. Washington State Patrol will enforce the new temporary speed limit. Fines for traffic violations will double in the work zone.
- Community engagement opportunity: WSDOT staff and contractor crewswill be at the Stanwood Farmers Market from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 27, to provide an opportunity for people to meet the team, ask questions and receive updates on construction.
Northbound and southbound I-5 traffic will use the bypass lanes through early 2026. The project will dig more than 60 feet beneath northbound I-5 to remove an outdated culvert that currently blocks fish passage and install a 35-foot-tall, steel-arch structure that improves wildlife habitat connectivity. Crews are already building a similar fish passable structure on southbound I-5.
I-5 Lake Creek bypass
Beginning at 5 a.m. Monday, June 30, near the North Lake Samish exit, southbound I-5 traffic will shift to a temporary two-lane bypass in the median.
- Traffic switch: Starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 29, travelers can expect southbound I-5 lane and ramp closures and rolling slowdowns until 5 a.m. Monday, June 30, to allow for the shift to the bypass.
- Reduced speed limit: The advisory speed limit will temporarily be reduced to 50 mph on the median bypass.
The bypass lanes will allow contractor crews to begin excavating and removing the old culvert, which is a barrier to fish. Once the removal is complete, crews will install a larger, fish-passable culvert. Upon installation of the new culvert in July, southbound I-5 traffic will return to its original alignment.
This work is part of a three-year project to remove 17 barriers to fish passage along a 6-mile stretch of I-5 in Skagit and Whatcom counties.
What to expect
People should be prepared for delays, follow signs and watch for crews in the work zone.
The shifts to the temporary bypasses will allow contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to update aging infrastructure, remove culverts that block fish movement, replace them with new, larger fish-passable structures beneath I-5 and restore habitat for marine life.
People can find real-time updates by visiting the WSDOT Travel Map.