Washington State Department of Transportation photo

A drone view of the nearly 5,000 cu. yds. of debris that came down during an April 22, 2025, rockslide on State Route 11/Chuckanut Drive.

Work began in early May 2025 to stabilize and clear a significant rockslide that sent thousands of cubic yards of debris across both directions of State Route 11/Chuckanut Drive, closing the road on April 22, 2025, just south of milepost 10 near Blanchard Road by Bow, Wash.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation are working six days a week on the emergency project to clear the highway, stabilize the slope, assess the road's condition and make any needed repairs.

SR 11 remains closed in both directions between the Oyster Dome trail head and Chuckanut Manor. This closure is expected to continue through June.

Stabilization efforts are under way, and WSDOT is coordinating with BNSF Railway to ensure continued safety of the tracks below the slide area.

Crews will begin by breaking down and removing the largest boulders. After some of the debris is removed, crews will blanket the road surface to protect the pavement from further damage while they work on the rock face.

Crews who specialize in this type of work will use hand tools and compressed air to safely remove loose rock from the steep slope, working from top to bottom to reduce hazards.

Once loose debris is cleared, rock bolts will be installed to anchor and secure any remaining material. These anchors require drilling deep into the rock face, followed by grouting and tightening bolts for stability.

Once the slope is stabilized, crews will remove any remaining debris and assess damage to the roadway surface, repair the pavement and restore the guardrail before finally reopening the road.

In addition to the work at this location, crews also will complete some repairs in the vicinity of milepost 13, about 1 mile south of the Whatcom-Skagit county line, where a separate rockfall occurred in November 2024.

Once the scaling work at the current slide is complete, crews will move north and repair work will be under way at both locations.

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