Late opening predicted for North Cascades Highway

OUTDOOR TRAVEL — Don’t get in a hurry to cross the North Cascades on State Route 20.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says avalanche danger on the North Cascades Highway has delayed the annual spring opening of the road.

Work crews plan to start clearing Highway 20 on April 11. The work is expected to take six weeks.

A transportation spokesman says it may be the latest spring opening in 20 years.

State Route 20, known as the North Cascades Highway, is the northernmost route across the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington. The stretch between Diablo and Mazama has been closed since Dec. 1.