The North Cascades Highway on State Route 20 reopened Friday after its annual winter closure.
Clearing the roadway took longer than normal this year with work lasting seven weeks instead of the usual four to six due to soft snow and risky avalanche conditions.
WSDOT says maintenance crews cleared the remaining snow from chutes above the roadway, repaired and replaced guardrails and pavement, and cleared any ditches of debris to channel water from melting snow.
The highway usually reopens in early May, according to WSDOT. In over 40 years of WSDOT records, there were only five times SR 20 opened later than 2018's targeted date, including 2017 when the roadway reopened May 16.
SR 20 closes annually when weather, snow conditions, and avalanche danger become a threat to drivers.
