I-5 – Tributaries to Friday, Lake & Chuckanut Creeks – Fish Passage

Welcome!

Beginning in late April 2025, the Washington State Department of Transportation started construction to remove 17 barriers to fish passage and replace those barriers with 10 new, structures that fish can swim through in south Whatcom and north Skagit counties. This work improves stream connectivity for Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek, Lake Creek, Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek, and Chuckanut Creek along a 6-mile stretch of I-5, south of Bellingham and north of Burlington.

Project overview

This project represents another milestone in WSDOT’s continued efforts to remove fish barriers and restore fish passage to streams throughout Washington State. The goal of the project is to replace existing fish barrier crossings with structures that allow fish to pass through.

This project will affect the I-5 corridor near the following mileposts between:

• Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek: milepost 241
• Lake Creek: milepost 245
• Unnamed tributary to Lake Creek: milepost 246
• Chuckanut Creek: milepost 247

Construction is scheduled from 2025 to 2027

The project’s first season in 2025 spanned from late April through October. During this time, crews began work at the Lake second and third seasons of work will be in 2026 and 2027, and will consist of constructing the Chuckanut Creek, Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek, and Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek sites.

Please note that the construction on Chuckanut Creek and the Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek crossings will not require any long-term or daytime lane reductions on I-5 during the upcoming soccer tournaments in the region (June 12 to July 8).

What to expect in 2026 and 2027

2026 project timeline

Chuckanut Creek – Milepost 247

• Apr. 2026
  I-5 bypass road at Chuckanut Creek built with nightly single-lane closures. Old Samish Road closes in both directions near Chuckanut Creek.
• May 2026
  Southbound I-5 shifts to Old Samish Road. Northbound I-5 shifts onto bypass road. Work begins on southbound I-5 bridge and half of northbound I-5 bridge.
• June 2026
  Work on southbound I-5 bridge and half of northbound I-5 bridge continues.
• July 2026
  Southbound I-5 traffic shifts onto original configuration on new bridge. Northbound I-5 shifts onto the portion of the new bridge.
• Aug. 2026
  Work begins on other half of northbound I-5 bridge and Old Samish Road bridge.
• Sept. 2026
  Work on northbound I-5 bridge finishes.
• Oct. 2026
  Northbound I-5 returns to original configuration on new bridge.
• Dec. 2026
  Work on Old Samish road bridge finishes. Old Samish Road returns to original configuration on new bridge.

Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek – Milepost 241

• April 2026
  I-5 temporary crossover road at Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek built with nightly lane closures. Northbound and southbound I-5 reduce to one lane in each direction between mileposts 240 and 242 nightly.
• May 2026
  Northbound and southbound I-5 reduce to one lane in each direction. Both directions of traffic use the existing southbound I-5 lanes.
• June 2026
  Work on northbound I-5 finishes. Northbound I-5 traffic returns to configuration. No long-term or daytime lane reductions or closures will happen during the upcoming soccer tournament in the region.
• July 2026
  South I-5 closes after tournament play finishes in the region. Northbound and southbound I-5 reduce to one lane in each direction. Both directions of traffic use the existing northbound I-5 lanes.
• Fall 2026
  Northbound and southbound I-5 return to the usual two-lane configuration.

Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek – Milepost 246

• May 2027
  Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek bypass road construction begins with nightly single-lane closures.
• June 2027
  Northbound I-5 shifts onto southbound I-5, while southbound I-5 shifts to southbound I-5 off-ramp to North Lake Samish for work on the northbound culvert.
• July 2027
  Northbound I-5 shifts to original alignment. Southbound I-5 remains on off-ramp to North Lake Samish for construction of southbound culvert.
• Aug. 2027
  Southbound I-5 shifts to original alignment. I-5 shifts to original alignment. I-5 shifts to original alignment. oI-5 shifts to original alignment. B I-5 on- and off-ramps to North Lake Samish remain closed while new ramps are built.
• Sept. 2027
  Construction of new North Lake Samish on- and off-ramps finishes and all lanes of northbound & southbound I-5 open to traffic.

Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek: Two new, larger culverts

Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek will have a single culvert that crosses under both directions of I-5 (milepost 246). The culvert will be built in two phases, using traffic configurations similar to what was done in 2025. The as part of this work.

Chuckanut Creek: Three Bridges

Chuckanut Creek bridges will be built using a phased construction approach and bypass roads to divert traffic around the work areas. All three bridges will be built and opened to travelers in 2026. Stream restoration work will follow in 2027.

Old Samish Road closure – April 2026

Old Samish Road will be closed to through traffic from April through December 2026 in order to construct the Chuckanut Creek bridge. Travelers will need to use alternate routes.

Traffic bypass on the I-5 median

Bypass roads on I-5 will be constructed to divert traffic around the work area. For 2026, this will occur at Chuckanut Creek (milepost 247) and Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek (milepost 241).

How long will traffic be on the bypass?

Travelers on I-5 will use the two-lane temporary bypasses through the summer while the Chuckanut Creek (milepost 247) and Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek (milepost 241) culverts are under construction.

• Speed limits will be reduced once traffic is shifted to the bypass roads.
• Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction at the Chuckanut Creek site.
• During construction at the Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek site, both directions of I-5 will be reduced to a single lane and placed into a crossover using the opposing direction of I-5. Delays are expected during peak hours during this time.

Key construction milestones from 2025

Lake Creek – Milepost 245

Construction at the Lake Creek site (milepost 245) was mostly completed in 2025. Crews working with WSDOT successfully removed an old fish barrier, and installed a new, fish-passable culvert along Lake Creek. In 2026, crews will continue in stream and restoration work.

The Bellingham Rock

What’s happening?

If you’ve driven northbound on I-5 near Bellingham, chances are you’ve noticed the Bellingham Rock painted with messages for decades. As part of our fish passage project at Friday, Lake, and Chuckanut Creeks, the Rock will need to be removed from its current spot. We understand this Rock isn’t just a boulder, it’s a beloved community billboard.

Why can’t the rock stay?

Due to safety concerns, the Rock cannot return to its original location once it’s removed. WSDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) don’t permit its return to I-5 limited access areas, especially where it could encourage unsafe parking or pedestrian access along a busy interstate.

Yes, it’s historic

Because the Rock has served as a community message board for so long, it’s officially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. We’ve signed a Memorandum of Agreement with FHWA and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, laying out the process we must follow.

We’ve also been consulting with Native American Tribes and engaging with other interested parties, including the City of Bellingham and the Bellingham Rock Facebook Group, as we evaluate next steps.

What’s the plan?

We’re putting together something called a Treatment Plan, a formal document that:

• Details how we’ve documented the Rock,
• Outlines requirements for the contractor during removal, and
• Explores possibilities for where the Rock might go next.

Finding the right home

The heart of the challenge is finding a new home that keeps the Rock’s spirit alive, public, visible, and safely accessible.

We’ve been asked about relocating it to nearby on- and off-ramps, but they still fall under highway access rules and pose real safety concerns. We’ve also reached out to local governments, universities, and adjacent property owners. While we have heard some private interest in accepting the Rock, private owners aren’t able to provide public access or visibility, which means the Rock wouldn’t continue its role as a community message board. And because we’re using public funds, we can’t pay to move it to a private space if the public can’t interact with it.

On top of that, we also need to consider the environmental impact of any potential relocation. WSDOT works hard to avoid or minimize harm to environmentally critical areas like streams, wetlands, and other sensitive habitats. These areas are protected under local, state, and federal laws and we take those responsibilities seriously.

We also have to think about what it means to maintain the Rock at a new site. If it’s moved to a location that allows continued public access, there could be long-term maintenance needs that WSDOT, or another host, would need to take on. That’s something we must factor in as we look for the best path forward.

What’s Next?

Here’s what we do know:

• The Rock will be removed as part of this project.
• It won’t be going back to its current location or any other spot within I-5 limited access.
• We’re documenting its history thoroughly and respectfully.
• And most importantly, while the Rock will be moved from its current location, no decision has been made yet about its final resting place.

We’re working with our partners to find a solution that honors what the Bellingham Rock has meant to the community and we’re hopeful we’ll find a place that reflects that in one way, shape or form.

Project funding and benefits

Project funding

This project is funded by Federal American Rescue Plan Act and State Move Ahead Washington funds. The total cost of the project is $159.6 million.

Project benefits

Restores habitat for fish

This project is removing 17 fish barriers and replacing them with 10 fish passable structures. Replacing the outdated culverts with new ones will open potential upstream habitat for salmon to spawn and grow. The new culverts and natural features will make it easier for fish to move through the creeks by slowing the water and creating a more natural stream environment.

A 2016 federal court injunction requires the state to significantly increase its efforts to remove state-owned culverts that block salmon, bull trout and steelhead habitats. The Injunction requires us to first evaluate if the crossing can be removed. By relocating the streams, seven additional stream crossings were eliminated. Rechanneling some of the tributaries, will create deeper, colder streams that help fish move through the area.

This reduces costs of installing additional structures and the long-term maintenance associated with each while ensuring fish can use more natural stream sections instead of streams under a highway structure.

Updating aging infrastructure and improving roadway resiliency

The new, larger culverts and bridges installed during this project will replace outdated culverts, which are usually a small pipe that run beneath the roadway, some of which are beginning to show signs of failure. These new structures are designed to current seismic standards, and the roadway is upgraded to current safety standards.

Removing invasive species and installing native landscape

The new streamswill include natural elements, such as logs and boulders to stabilize the channel, create habitat for fish and restore the natural flow of the streams that were disrupted when the original culverts were installed under the highway.

Stay connected

David Rasbach
WSDOT Communicator
david.rasbach@wsdot.wa.gov

Jared Bentley
WSDOT Project Engineer
jared.bentley@wsdot.wa.gov