Fourth rock slide blocks new section of Chuckanut Drive

BOW—A new rock slide occurred on Chuckanut Drive this morning, the fourth slide in 15 days to affect the highway.

The state Department of Transportation reports that at about 10:45 a.m. today, a slice occurred about four miles south of the Whatcom-Skagit county line at milepost 9.7. The rock pile on the road is about the size of a dump-ruck load of rock.

Maintenance crews cleared the rocks from the road and were temporarily allowing one lane of traffic through the area. Crews could completely close the road for up to four days.

The latest slide is several miles south of a large rockslide that occurred Nov. 10. Contractors are currently at that site removing loose rock and stabilizing the hillside.

Geotechnical engineers were already in the area to inspect the site of the previous slide. They’ve determined that the new slide destabilized a portion of the hillside approximately 80 feet above the road.

The DOT will hire a contractor to remove the unstable rock before reopening the road. This work will completely close the road, and crews estimate that it could take two to four days to complete.

Several homes and businesses are north of the slide.

The other recent rock slides were on Nov. 4, Nov. 7 and Nov. 10.