About 20 miles of Highway 2 are set to reopen Dec. 29 on the east side of the Cascades, allowing access to the Stevens Pass ski resort, after devastating flooding and debris slides destroyed parts of the highway this month.

U.S. 2, a major east-west crossing in Washington over the Cascades, has been closed for two weeks along a nearly 50-mile stretch between Skykomish and Leavenworth. Parts of the roadway collapsed entirely.

Fully reopening the highway “is going to take time, a long time, and we’re still evaluating the full extent of the damage,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a press conference Dec. 26. 

The partial reopening will be at 6 a.m. Dec. 29 between Coles Corner and Stevens Pass, or mileposts 85 and 64, Ferguson said. A pilot car will shepherd drivers for the final stretch to the pass in one lane between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. This system is expected to last at least a month. 

The west side of U.S. 2 remains closed at Skykomish, blocking access to Stevens Pass from that direction. Ferguson plans to be in Skykomish on Dec. 30 to survey the damage there and give an update on repairs in that area, hopefully with a timeline for reopening.

“We all understand how critical reopening Highway 2 is for residents of our cities and communities, for our economy, for the ski resort, for travel across our state,” Ferguson said. “We’re very, very mindful of that, and the team is working extremely hard to get it opened as quickly as possible.”

At milepost 54 near Skykomish, “many, many feet of debris” have had to be removed from a bridge before it can be inspected, state Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith said.

Ten days before the press conference, Ferguson said parts of U.S. 2 could remain closed for months. On Dec. 26, he said some repairs will have to wait for snow to clear in the Cascades.

“Repairs like this, as you might imagine, are heavily dependent on the weather, and the weather this time of year, obviously, is not ideal,” Ferguson said. 

There’s no estimate for the cost of the damage to the highway.

The ski resort, owned by Vail Resorts, has drawn frustration from skiers and snowboarders over not offering refunds despite the delayed opening. 

Skykomish Mayor Henry Sladek called Dec. 26’s announcement “a great first step.” Leavenworth Mayor Carl Florea said, “We appreciate the potential for this first step toward that restoration.”

“We know it’s going to be a long time coming,” Florea added.

Across the state, about eight sections of highway remain closed due to the flooding, Meredith said.

Ferguson recently proposed roughly $2 billion for preserving and maintaining the state’s bridges and roads. Legislators will consider that funding plan when they return to Olympia next month for a 60-day legislative session.

This story is republished from the Washington State Standard, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet that provides original reporting, analysis and commentary on Washington state government and politics.