Nearly 50 miles of U.S. Highway 2 closed after flooding and mudslides

WSDOT says the stretch of highway will remain closed through the weekend.

INDEX, Wash. — Nearly 50 miles of U.S. Highway 2 will remain closed through the weekend after flooding and mudslides washed out sections of the road across the Cascades, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Viewer video shared with KING 5 shows large portions of Highway 2 no longer visible, with water and debris overtaking the roadway. A warning sign in Sultan alerts drivers that U.S. 2 beyond Skykomish is unusable.

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WSDOT says the closure stretches from Skykomish to Leavenworth, between mileposts 50 and 99, due to water and debris covering the road in multiple locations. There is no estimated time to reopen.

Todd Brunner, a Skykomish resident, traveled east to meet KING 5 in Index. He said mudslides have impacted a long stretch of the highway.

“There are slides from Lake Wenatchee to Skykomish, all the way across — that is about 40 miles of road,” Brunner said.

WSDOT confirmed nearly 50 miles of Highway 2 will remain closed through the weekend, with plans to assess conditions again on Monday. Agency officials say ongoing water flow and large mudslides are preventing crews from fully accessing parts of the pass.

“Since water is actively still running and there are some mudslides that are too large to see over and access right now, we’re not sure what’s happening further inside the pass fully,” WSDOT spokesperson Lauren Loebsack said. “Right now, we are still responding where we can.”

In areas near Index that have recently reopened, the Skykomish River remains swollen and fast-moving. Brunner pointed to the river’s color as evidence of the amount of debris being carried downstream.

“You can see by the color of it how much material — how much sand and gravel — is being washed and swept down,” he said.

Brunner said Skykomish residents have taken in stranded travelers before and may have to do so again this weekend.

“We’re used to being isolated a week at a time, so for residents it’s not a big deal,” Brunner said. “For travelers that get trapped, it is a big deal, and we had a couple dozen of those over the past couple of days.”

In a social media update, WSDOT said U.S. 97 over Blewett Pass and state Route 28 through Quincy are alternate routes. The agency also reported power outages in portions of Leavenworth and Chelan County, and said Village of Lights festivities in Leavenworth have been canceled this weekend as local crews focus on road conditions and community impacts.

WSDOT urged travelers to heed all road closures, remain alert for cleanup crews and emergency responders, avoid driving through mudslides or standing water, stay inside their vehicles rather than attempting to clear debris, and avoid downed power lines.