As part of a project to restore fish passage for three local creeks near Bellingham, WA, the Washington State Department of Transportation will relocate the well-known “Bellingham Rock” that has served as an informal “community billboard” along I-5 for more than five decades.
[Above photo via Wikipedia]
The rock is located within the active construction area at Chuckanut Creek, where WSDOT contractor crews will replace culverts that currently block a native fish passage.
The agency said in a statement that it understands that the Bellingham Rock holds meaning for many people in the community, noting that fieldwork conducted in 2023 by WSDOT documented the rock as a “unique geological feature” that has been used for decades as a “community message space.”
Thus WSDOT is making a “deliberate effort” to proceed with fish passage work while also honoring the Bellingham Rock’s place in community history, the agency said.
Because the rock sits directly within the footprint of work needed to complete the project, the rock must be removed and cannot be returned as WSDOT and Federal Highway Administration regulations prohibit placing the rock within limited access areas, such as along I-5 or nearby ramps, where it could encourage unsafe parking or pedestrian access.
To move the rock, WSOT contractor crews are first removing paint and other potentially environmentally hazardous materials from the rock’s surface and surrounding soil so they can be properly disposed of at permitted facilities.
To that end, small tools will be used to chip paint from the rock, WSDOT said, with specialized chemicals applied to dissolve remaining layers. Soil ranging from six inches to two feet deep will be removed from around the rock to address contaminants such as lead and cadmium, the agency added.
Because the rock weighs more than 100 tons, it cannot be moved intact without significant cost and specialized equipment and permits. So, once the paint is removed, WSDOT’s crews will break the rock into smaller pieces by drilling holes and using expansive grout to slowly create cracks. This process will be repeated several times before pieces are loaded onto trucks and removed from the site. No explosives will be used, WSDOT stressed.
A privately owned property in Bellingham has been identified as a potential location for the rock. WSDOT and the property owner have signed an agreement, reviewed by the State Attorney General’s Office, that includes provisions to maintain public access.
The agency said the property owner will inspect the rock after it is removed and broken into transportable pieces and may choose whether to accept final possession. If accepted, WSDOT will deliver the rock to the agreed-upon location, and the property owner will assume responsibility for its long-term care. However, if the property owner elects not to take possession of the rock, WSDOT said it will develop a process to distribute a limited number of pieces to interested members of the public.
While Bellingham Rock adds a unique layer to this project, the primary purpose remains restoring fish passage along this stretch of I-5, the agency emphasized. Work on the Lake, Friday, and Chuckanut creeks fish passage project began in 2025 and is part of WSDOT’s statewide fish passage program. In this particular project, crews are removing 17 outdated culverts under I-5 near Lake Samish and replacing them with 10 new structures that will allow fish to move freely upstream.
The work at Chuckanut Creek includes building three new bridges along northbound and southbound I-5 and Old Samish Road. Once complete, this will open nearly three-quarters of a mile of additional habitat for salmon and steelhead.
