GOLD BAR, Wash. — A long-awaited, partial reopening of about 20 miles of Highway 2, between Leavenworth and Stevens Pass, started at 6 a.m. Monday.
Catastrophic flooding severely damaged several parts of the highway, leaving behind landslides, fallen trees, and washed-out sections of road. The closure has had large impacts on surrounding towns and businesses, but some shop owners in Gold Bar aren’t expecting to see positive changes until a complete reopening of Highway 2.
Mark Klein and his wife, Sandy, own Espresso Chalet and said this has been the longest closure they’ve ever witnessed.
“The highway’s quiet. It is really quiet,” Klein admitted.
And in turn, so is Klein’s nearly 40-year-old coffee shop. Business Monday through Friday is down to roughly 15% to 20% of what Espresso Chalet typically sees, according to Klein.
“It’s pretty slack on the weekdays,” he added. “Weekends aren’t quite as bad.”
Still, Klein and his staff are serving just half of his regular number of customers on the weekends this time of year, forcing the normally busy spot to close hours early some days.
“When the parking lot empties out and it’s getting on toward 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m.,” Klein continued, “We’re closing.”
While Highway 2’s partial reopening from Coles Corner to Stevens Pass is a welcome sign of progress being made, and something Klein is grateful for, he unfortunately isn’t expecting a jump in foot traffic as result.
“As far as us here, we won’t see a thing change, I don’t think,” he said. “Not until they open up the sections east of Skykomish.”
That section is an area that Gov. Bob Ferguson has said will take considerably longer to reopen, largely because of a bridge east of Skykomish that’s presented “significant challenges.”
Work to clear debris from the bridge started Dec. 20, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Crews will inspect the bridge to determine if and when traffic can reopen west of Stevens Pass. Gov. Ferguson said he plans to update the public by Tuesday.
“I do want to be clear,” the governor said Dec. 26. “Fully opening Highway 2 is going to take time, a long time.”
While Espresso Chalet patiently waits for a full reopening, Klein and his wife are grateful for the customers who keep coming.
“After 36 years of being in business, we’re always amazed at the great community here,” Klein said. “They have come up and really helped us out.”
