Skagit County outlines Cook Road–I‑5 improvements to ease congestion near Sedro‑Woolley

Devin Willard, a project manager with Skagit County Public Works, told the Sedro‑Woolley City Council the county is advancing short‑ and long‑term improvements at the Cook Road/I‑5/Old Highway 99 corridor that currently experiences heavy congestion and vehicle queuing onto the I‑5 mainline.

Willard said the short‑term package — the primary focus of his presentation — would add traffic signals at the I‑5 ramp intersections, a northbound right‑turn lane at Old Highway 99 onto eastbound Cook Road, an additional eastbound lane on Cook Road, interconnection of the new signals with the nearby BNSF crossing gate, pavement resurfacing and ADA improvements. He said the county is designing the project to accommodate traffic growth through 2045 and that the short‑term improvements are expected to open in 2028.

The plan also includes a long‑term grade separation between Cook Road and the BNSF railroad tracks; Willard said that remains a later phase being evaluated during…