Options are decreasing to get to the west side of Washington. Not only is I-90 bottlenecked at Cle Elum for a damaged overpass, sending traffic up the off-ramp and down the other side in one lane westbound. Now the Department of Transportation is closing Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass. The roads are closed every winter about this time because of snow buildup. Chinook Pass is highway 410, and Cayuse Pass is Highway 123. They will both close tomorrow (Friday) morning at 10am.
The DOT says the roads close every winter because of hazardous conditions like avalanche risk, lack of emergency services, and limited snow storage. Early, heavy snow has prompted the early closure this year.
