Limited number of pieces available; people need to complete waiver

BELLINGHAM - Community members have a limited opportunity to obtain a piece of Bellingham Rock from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Civic Stadium parking lot in Bellingham.

Before it was removed in April as part of a project to restore fish passage at Friday, Lake and Chuckanut creeks, Bellingham Rock served as a community billboard along Interstate 5 for more than five decades.

Bellingham Rock piece giveaway

The Washington State Department of Transportation will begin distributing rock pieces at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 11, in the Civic Stadium parking lot. That opportunity will continue until as late as 3 p.m. or until all rock pieces have been distributed.

More than 1,000 pieces, averaging about 3 inches in size, will be available free of charge. Interested people need to fill out an online waiver by noon Friday, July 10. Each person must fill out a waiver, even if they plan to arrive in the same vehicle.

Rock pieces will be limited to one per person until 2 p.m. to ensure as many people as possible have an opportunity. Rock pieces will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Completing a waiver form does not guarantee a rock piece will be available for pick up on Saturday.

On Saturday, July 11, people should enter the Civic Stadium parking lot, 1445 Puget Street, from Orleans Street on the west side of the parking lot. After driving through and receiving their rock piece, people should exit using Puget Street on the east side of the parking lot.

A deliberate, multi-step process

Before it was removed, Bellingham Rock was located within the active I-5 construction area at Chuckanut Creek (milepost 247), where contractor crews working on behalf of WSDOT are replacing culverts that block native fish from passing. This work is part of a statewide effort to correct fish passage barriers and comply with a federal court injunction requiring the state to open habitat for salmon and other species.

WSDOT recognized that Bellingham Rock holds meaning for many people in the community. The agency also has a responsibility to move forward with fish passage work that improves habitat and meets legal requirements. This project reflected a deliberate effort to proceed with fish passage work while also honoring and documenting Bellingham Rock's place in community history.

After the contract was awarded and it was determined Bellingham Rock would be affected, WSDOT began a structured review process to determine how to proceed. Fieldwork conducted in 2023 documented the rock as a unique geological feature that has been used for decades as a community message space. WSDOT conducted additional analysis and coordination as part of required environmental and cultural resource reviews before construction began in the area.

Why rock removal was needed

As design and construction planning advanced, WSDOT evaluated multiple options, including leaving the rock in place or protecting it during construction. However, because the rock sat directly within the footprint of work needed to complete the project, those options were not feasible and it was deemed the rock must be removed. WSDOT and Federal Highway Administration regulations prohibited replacing the rock within limited access areas, such as along I-5 or nearby ramps, where it could encourage unsafe parking or pedestrian access.

WSDOT evaluated a range of options for relocating Bellingham Rock, including placement on publicly owned property. WSDOT-owned sites were ruled out due to access limitations, environmental and safety considerations, long-term maintenance responsibilities and the lack of infrastructure needed to support safe public access.

WSDOT also coordinated with partner public agencies, but none expressed interest in taking ownership of the rock. A plan to publicly display the rock on private property in Bellingham also was unsuccessful.

Removing the rock

In April, crews began removing the years of paint layers from Bellingham Rock, many of which included lead and other environmentally harmful chemicals. Contaminated soil also was removed from around the rock.

Because the rock weighed more than 100 tons, it could not be moved intact without significant cost, specialized equipment and permits. To break the rock into pieces small enough to be transported, contractors drilled holes and used expansive grout to crack and break the rock into smaller pieces.

Due to Bellingham Rock's composition, the process ultimately broke Bellingham Rock into pieces too small for public display. The pieces were transported from the site along I-5. The rock was further processed into smaller pieces and stored until they could be publicly distributed Saturday, July 11.