Repairs to Mount Baker Highway will slow traffic; full closure set next month
.jpg "Repairing an approximately 70-foot-long damaged section near O’Keefe Creek (milepost 43) will require a five-day full closure of SR 542 in early February. Dates for the full closure will be announced when details are finalized.")
Repairs to the Mount Baker Highway will delay your trip to the mountains for several weeks in two locations, and a planned February closure will cut access to the Mount Baker Ski Area for at least five days.
December storms wreaked havoc at several sites along the Mount Baker Highway, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said last week:
- Repairs began Monday on a section of the highway east of Glacier, between mileposts 41 and 44 east of the mountain village of Glacier. Embankments collapsed and are being rebuilt.
- Repairs began Saturday on a culvert where Bruce Creek flows under the highway about 2 miles east of Maple Falls where debris from floodwaters blocked the culvert and forced the creek to flow over the roadway
Work is expected to take a few weeks and should finish by early February. Flaggers will alternate eastbound and westbound traffic through the area during daytime hours, WSDOT said in an emailed statement.
Part of the damaged section of Mount Baker Highway will require a full closure of the road near O’Keefe Creek at milepost 43 in early February. Dates will be announced when details are final.
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Repairs to Mount Baker Highway will slow traffic; full closure set next month."
