BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A future fish passage project will cause headaches for drivers at a high-traffic area in north Bellingham.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is beginning the design phase of an $85 million project that will correct fish barriers around five locations in Spring and Baker Creeks near the intersection of I-5 and the Guide Meridian. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026 and finish in fall 2028.
Project Engineer Megan Mosebar laid out the groundwork for the project in a presentation to the Bellingham City Council on Monday, June 17. She says despite the obstructions to traffic, design teams are already working to make sure the work won’t impact access to businesses.
“They’re going to have to coordinate with businesses, do outreach to businesses, making sure they’re engaged and know what to expect,” Mosebar said in her presentation. “We’ve begun some of that with some of the larger businesses already, kind of letting them know what to expect.”
Both I-5 and the Guide are expected to be reduced to a single lane in each direction for periods of time while construction is underway.
Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund said communication of the traffic impacts will be key during a time where cross-border traffic will be surging.
“Construction could be underway just in advance of the World Cup and we anticipate additional thru travel from Seattle to Vancouver for some of those games,” Lund said.
Seattle and Vancouver will both be hosting several matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It kicks off in mid-June and runs into July, just months after construction is expected to begin.
WSDOT says it should have a clearer picture of the traffic impacts by December 2025.
