WSDOT begins emergency repairs on US-2

An aerial view of a large, washed out section of US-2 in Tumwater Canyon.

COURTESY OF WSDOT

Even where the road remains intact, washed out embankments leave sections of US-2 in Tumwater Canyon compromised.

COURTESY OF WSDOT

Road damage near the summit of Stevens Pass.

COURTESY OF WSDOT

Posted Friday, December 19, 2025 2:20 pm

By TAYLOR CALDWELL
Ward Media Staff Reporter

LEAVENWORTH — Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) began emergency work on US-2 to repair several miles of washouts and mudslides on Dec. 18.

WSDOT contracted Hurst Construction to perform roadway stabilization, debris removal and drainage repairs on a 12-mile stretch of road between mileposts 58 and 70 over the summit of Stevens Pass. Emergency repair work for multiple sections of Tumwater Canyon (mileposts 90-97) and east of Skykomish (milepost 54) are in development, according to WSDOT.

The highway was closed between Index and Coles Corned on Dec. 10 due to multiple areas of storm damage. The next day, the closure was extended to include Tumwater Canyon. Crews cleared the west side of US-2 to Skykomish on Dec. 12, but the route from Skykomish to Leavenworth (mileposts 50 to 99) has remained closed.

“What's unique for this instance is, it's several locations, and we're also dealing with it not just in the region, but throughout the state,” WSDOT North Central Communications Manager Lauren Loebsack told Ward Media.

WSDOT is in the process of addressing severe damage to multiple roadways across western and central Washington as a result of the recent storms. According to Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, WSDOT reopened more than 60 roads across the state since the start of the storm systems as of Dec. 16, but there were still closures on 13 highways and seven road restrictions. During a press conference, Gov. Ferguson said reopening the US-2 closure could take “months” due to the amount of damage incurred.

However, sections of the highway could open sooner, while areas that are significantly damaged, such as Tumwater Canyon, face extended closures.

“We're not waiting for concurrence on all projects. We're getting to what we can, as soon as we can,” WSDOT North Central Communications Lauren Loebsack told Ward Media.

There is no estimated time for reopen, according to WSDOT. Alternate routes and live updates can be viewed on WSDOT real-time travel map.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media