A section of the I-5 Skagit River Bridge collapsed on Thursday night, and while everyone involved in the incident is OK, the loss of that major artery for travellers could cause a traffic nightmare.
It is Memorial Day weekend coming up, and additional drivers are expected to be coming down from Canada to enjoy some of the sales.
Travellers are advised to allow more time for their commute.
In Skagit County both directions of I-5 are closed south of Burlington. Traffic is being diverted off southbound I-5 at Exit 230.
The Washington State Department of Transportation reports:
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On southbound I-5 at Chuckanut (exit 231), a signed detour will take traffic west on SR 20, south on Best Road, east on Fir Island Road and back to the freeway at SR 534.
Southbound I-5 is closed at George Hopper Road. A detour will take traffic east on George Hopper, south on Riverside Drive and west on SR 528 back to the freeway.
Northbound I-5 has a signed detour directing traffic off at SR 534, then west on Fir Island Road, north on Best Road and east on SR 20 back to I-5. There will be no lanes closed at SR 534.
Northbound I-5 is closed at SR 538 and traffic is detoured east on SR 538, north on Riverside Drive, west on George Hopper Road and back to I-5.
To use SR 9 as an alternate northbound route, bypassing Mount Vernon, take Exit 221 at SR 534 east to northbound SR 9 to SR 20 westbound to I-5.
They have provided a map (see below) to help with the detour:
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