Skagit River Bridge to shut down for 14 days starting Nov. 1

Drivers in Mount Vernon should plan for a detour across the Skagit River as construction work moves into a two-week full closure of the State Route 536 Skagit River/Division Street Bridge.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says both eastbound and westbound lanes will close Sunday, Nov. 1, and stay shut until the painting work is finished, which crews hope to complete as soon as Nov. 15. The closure lets the agency finish the bridge preservation project before Thanksgiving, four months earlier than the original timeline, which had the work wrapping up by early 2027 ahead of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. WSDOT and Mount Vernon officials coordinated the schedule change to reduce disruption for neighborhoods near the bridge.

For eastbound drivers, the detour runs north on Avon Allen Road, east on SR 20 and south on I-5. Westbound traffic reverses that route. Emergency vehicles can still cross the bridge in both directions during the closure, and WSDOT says pedestrians and bicyclists will keep access across the river. When the sidewalk shuts for work, a shuttle will carry people with mobility devices across.

"Changing the traffic control plan at this stage takes coordination and flexibility," said Melissa Ambler, WSDOT assistant region administrator for the Mount Baker area. "Their willingness to work through those details with us gives us an opportunity to finish the preservation work before Thanksgiving, weather permitting." She thanked the contractor and the community for cooperating with the work.

The closure is part of a broader set of road work scheduled for the Halloween weekend in the area. WSDOT is asking drivers to prepare for delays and check routes ahead of time.

WSDOT has not announced a specific end date beyond Nov. 15, and the agency says the work is weather dependent.