News in Brief

Get ready for I-5 road delays
Summer is nearly here and that means … I-5 construction delays in Bellingham. Starting Monday, June 7, crews will be working on a third lane between the Ohio Street on-ramp and the Lakeway Drive exit. The exit widened to two lanes and a noise wall will be constructed on the west side of I-5.

Of course, none of this comes without disruption to motorists. There will be closures to the Ohio on-ramp, the Lakeway exit and I-5 lanes, some as long as a week.

Let’s get crabby!
Recreational crab fishing is scheduled to open June 1 in much of Puget Sound, though not as far north as Birch Bay. Biologists with the state department of fish and wildlife (WDFW) established opening dates for recreational crab fishing prior to the season after a multi-year study of crab molt timing in various crabbing areas.

“Recent crab shell hardness testing has shown the molt is occurring as predicted in most areas but crab fishers should be aware that opening dates could be delayed in certain areas if the molting process doesn’t continue on schedule,” said WDFW shellfish biologist Rich Childers.
Areas scheduled to open June 1 include Marine Areas 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. The southern portion of the San Juan Islands (Marine Area 6 and a portion of Marine Area 7) is expected to open June 16. The remainder of the San Juan Islands and waters north of the islands will open up later in the summer.

New this year is a $3 Puget Sound Dungeness crag endorsement fee to be used to support recreational fishery sampling and enhancement.