Washington closes several rest areas along Interstate 5 indefinitely due to vandalism, trash

Washington drivers now have less options for taking a break off of Interstate 5: the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced the long-term closure of several rest areas between Everett and the Canadian border this week due to vandalism and ongoing maintenance issues. 

Multiple rest areas in Snohomish and Whatcom counties closed Friday, including Smokey Point in Arlington and Custer north of Bellingham. The southbound Silver Lake rest area in Everett closed in late September for maintenance and cleaning and will remain shuttered through the winter months.

Officials said that some visitors have not been using the facilities for their intended purpose, creating a problem with extended stays, illegal dumping, littering and vandalism. The department also said there had been verbal threats against employees.

"The decision to close these rest areas is not taken lightly," said Morgan Balogh, WSDOT assistant regional administrator for maintenance, in a news release Wednesday. "Our priority is keeping the roadway safe for all users and we need to shift our resources moving into the winter months."

The closures appear to be indefinite as no target reopening date was provided by WSDOT. The department did say it will reevaluate the decision early next year based on crew and resource availability. The rest of the state's 44 rest stops will remain open throughout the winter, except for normal seasonal closures of Forest Learning Center and Blue Lake.

The closures will also impact access to dump stations for RVs at Silver Lake and Smokey Point. The agency said it is working to restore the dump station at the northbound I-5 Smokey Point rest area in the upcoming weeks.