BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund is urging patience for drivers detouring around the I-5 landslides.

“We are continuously monitoring our conditions, adjusting our signaling, and doing what we can to address these impacts,” Mayor Lund said. “But we do acknowledge that there are impacts that we just can’t fix.”

Mayor Lund made the comments during Bellingham City Council’s regular meeting on Monday night, adding that the sheer number of vehicles passing through the area poses its own challenge.

“It is incredibly difficult for us to absorb 50,000 cars per day, including semi-truck traffic, into the city’s transportation system,” Mayor Lund said.

It comes as traffic is detouring around two landslides that have blocked I-5 northbound between North Lake Samish and Old Fairhaven Parkway.

Most vehicles are being sent up Samish Way into Bellingham, but the route is not the best for semis and other freight traffic.

Larger vehicles are encouraged to exit at Cook Road in Skagit County to connect onto Highway 9.

Mayor Lund adds that local roads that aren’t part of the detour routes are also dealing with delays:

“Additional favors at signaling at Samish way for example cause backups onto Bill McDonald Parkway and there are unintended consequences and ripple impacts as we seek to navigate and ameliorate some of these impacts,” Mayor Lund said.

More updates about the cleanup and repair plan are expected to be announced by WSDOT on Wednesday, March 25.