Landslide in Bellingham, Wash., blocks freeway, strands semi-truck south of Canada-U.S. border

A landslide in Bellingham, Wash., buried a stretch of freeway south of the Canadian border, fully blocking northbound lanes for several hours Sunday.

On Oct. 27, around 5:45 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said all northbound lanes of the I-5 near Iowa Street in Bellingham were closed due to the slide, and emergency crews were responding to the scene.

A detour was in place for commuters.

The incident happened about 35 kilometres south of the Blaine–Douglas Canada-U.S. border crossing, according to Google Maps.

Later Sunday morning, the WSDOT said crews were clearing debris and fixing damage to barriers and walls after significant rainfall was recorded in the area.

It also urged people to brace for flooding on nearby roads.

“We have a lot of heavy machinery and personnel onsite working to clear debris, and geotechs are assessing the area,” the WSDOT said in an update.

“Crews estimate about 2000 cubic yards of debris spilled across lanes of I-5,” it said. “A specialty tow truck has been called to remove the semi-truck stuck in the debris. The left lane of southbound I-5 is also blocked at this location.”

Some southbound lanes were also closed, and the WSDOT urged drivers to expect backups “about three miles (4.8 km) in length” as repair crews were on scene.

By 3 p.m., all lanes in both directions were reopened after WSDOT’s team, including geotechnical engineers, worked with the city, police, fire crews and local tows to clear the debris, according to the department’s final social media update.

Commuters were thanked for their patience during the freeway closure.

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