Flood waters closed down 20 miles of I-5 in Thurston, Lewis counties
Updated at 1:37 p.m.: The freeway was reopened about 1 p.m.
Original story: A 20-mile-long stretch of Interstate 5 is closed in Thurston and Lewis counties after flood waters swamped the freeway. State officials say the closure could last until Sunday.
The closure is between mileposts 68 and 88, making Interstate 5 inaccessible between U.S. 12 and state Route 6.
Drivers have no detours or short alternative routes to get around the impasse on Friday.
There will be no quick end to the crisis. The Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers, swollen from rain and melting snow, will not crest until later Friday.
Making matters worse, all passes through the Cascades of Washington are closed. They are not anticipated to reopen until Saturday or Sunday.
Puget Sound is essentially, cut off from the rest of the U.S. Friday.
Travel along the coast is dicey with various highways closed due to flood waters. South Bend on U.S. 101 and the Willapa River, has experienced major flooding in the past day.
The closure of I-5 was anticipated yesterday by the state Department of Transportation which said they had no plans to close it but did not rule out the possibility.
A similar stretch of I-5 was shut down during major flooding in 2007 — the largest flood in Centralia-Chehalis history.
There is good news: The rain inundating the region is expected to give way to sun this weekend.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 8:15 AM.
