Washington State Route 125

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State Route 125 marker

State Route 125

Map
A map of the Walla Walla area with SR 125 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 12
Maintained by WSDOT
Length23.65 mi[1] (38.06 km)
Existed1964–present
Major junctions
South end OR 11 near College Place
North end SR 124 near Prescott
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountiesWalla Walla
Highway system
← SR 124→ SR 127

State Route 125 (SR 125) is a state highway in Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It travels 24 miles (39 km) south from the city of Walla Walla to the Oregon state border and north to a junction with SR 124 near Prescott. The highway continues south towards Pendleton, Oregon, as OR 11. SR 125 also has a spur route in Walla Walla that connects it to an interchange with U.S. Route 12 (US 12).

SR 125 follows a historic

Secondary State Highway 3E in 1937. The two highways were combined to form SR 125 during the 1964 state highway renumbering
.

The Oregon–Walla Walla highway was originally a two-lane road that was the site of hundreds of collisions in the 1960s, prompting the state government to consider new designs. After proposals to build a

divided highway
in 1987. It was completed the following year and improved with traffic signals in the late 1990s.

Route description

A section of SR 125 near downtown Walla Walla

SR 125 begins at the

divided highway carrying SR 125 follows the Walla Walla River downstream as it travels north through a collection of wineries in a flat section of rural Walla Walla County.[4] After intersecting the Old Milton Highway, SR 125 veers northeast into suburban College Place and passes Fort Walla Walla Park as it follows Stone Creek through residential neighborhoods. The highway loses its raised concrete median after entering the city of Walla Walla and intersecting Plaza Way near the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds.[2] SR 125 then turns north onto 9th Avenue and crosses over a railroad carrying a branch of the Union Pacific Railroad.[5][6]

The highway passes through a commercial district west of downtown Walla Walla on 9th Avenue and crosses over

city limits.[5][7]

SR 125 begins its ascent from the

Walla Walla Valley into the hilly Palouse near Valley Grove and begins following the Columbia Walla Walla Railroad, a shortline railroad connecting Walla Walla to Dayton.[6][8] The highway and railroad travel northwest along the floor of Spring Valley, making several turns as they pass through the rural communities of Hadley, Berryman, and Ennis.[7] SR 125 then turns northeast near Dry Creek and descends from the hills to reach a bridge crossing the Touchet River. The highway terminates beyond the bridge at a junction with SR 124, located west of Prescott.[5]

SR 125 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The Oregon–Walla Walla section of the highway is designated as a Highway of Statewide Significance and as part of the National Highway System.[9][10] WSDOT conducts an annual survey of average traffic volume on the state highway system that is measured in terms of annual average daily traffic. Daily traffic volumes on SR 125 range from a minimum of 430 vehicles near its northern terminus in Prescott to a maximum of 21,000 vehicles near Fort Walla Walla Park.[11]

History

SSH 3E
, one of two predecessor highways that formed SR 125

SR 125 follows a section of the

Milton, Oregon.[16][17]

The OR&N Company also built a northern branch in 1881 along the Mullan Road from Walla Walla to Prescott (named for a railroad official) and

State Road 3 and U.S. Route 410).[24][25]

State Road 3 was replaced in 1937 by

Secondary State Highway 3E (SSH 3E), which continued east from Prescott to Waitsburg.[27][28] SSH 3E was fully paved by the mid-1940s and sections were rebuilt and realigned in 1955 after floods damaged the road.[29][30] The Walla Walla city government suggested several unmade changes to SSH 3E in the 1950s and 1960s, including rerouting of its approach to the city to use North 9th Avenue, and a western bypass to directly link to the Milton-Freewater Highway in College Place.[31][32]

During the

SSH 3D to form a continuous route from Burbank to Waitsburg, and SR 125, which would use the PSH 3 branch to the Oregon state line and the remainder of SSH 3E.[33][34] During the routing debate for Interstate 82 in the late 1960s, the SR 125 and OR 11 corridor was considered as a potential option, but was rejected in favor of the Umatilla Bridge compromise.[35] The state governments of Oregon and Washington began considering expansion and modernization of the two-lane highway carrying SR 125 and OR 11 in the mid-1960s, following over 400 collisions and 15 deaths in less than a decade.[36][37]

The four-lane

oil crisis.[41][42] The US 12 freeway was completed in October 1973 without a direct connection to SR 125, which would use the 13th Avenue underpass.[43][44]

The state legislature delayed funding for the SR 125 project while the new

center turn lane like the expanded OR 11.[49] The four-lane, six-mile (9.7 km) section of SR 125 was completed and opened to traffic in August 1988.[50]

The widening project did not relieve the highway of major collisions, however, due to the merging of traffic from side streets into the fast-moving mainline lanes with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h).[51][52] The state government approved $2.3 million to equip five intersections with traffic signals in 1999 due to increased traffic and development along SR 125.[53] The western bypass was ultimately built by the College Place city government in November 2008 as an extension of Myra Road,[54] which was connected to US 12 with a new interchange that opened in 2010.[55][56] The intersection of SR 125 and Plaza Way is the busiest in the Walla Walla area and was replaced by a roundabout in August 2021 to improve traffic flow and safety.[57][58]

Spur route

Spur plate.svg

State Route 125 Spur marker

State Route 125 Spur

LocationWalla Walla, Washington
Length0.73 mi[1] (1,170 m)
Existed1990–present

SR 125 has a short

dogbone interchange with US 12.[1][59][60] An estimated 4,600 vehicles use the spur route on a daily basis, based on average daily traffic volumes calculated by WSDOT.[11]

The spur route was established in 1990, providing a direct connection from mainline SR 125 to US 12.[61] The original intersection with US 12 at Myra Road was replaced by an interchange that opened on July 23, 2010.[55][62] The new interchange extended the length of SR 125 Spur from 0.67 miles (1.08 km) to its present 0.73 miles (1.17 km).[1][61]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Walla Walla County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
​0.000.00
 OR 11 south – Pendleton		Southern terminus, continuation into Oregon
SR 125 Spur (Pine Street) to US 12 – Pasco, Lewiston
6.7010.78Washington State Penitentiary
​23.6538.06 SR 124 – Pasco, Waitsburg
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Multimodal Planning Division (January 3, 2018). State Highway Log Planning Report 2017, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 963–969. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 125: Oregon State Line to US 12 Jct (Walla Walla)" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. March 29, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  3. ^ Oregon 2017–2019 Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Oregon Department of Transportation. March 2017. Pendleton inset. § A7. Retrieved December 16, 2018. {{cite map}}: External link in |inset= (help)
  4. ^ Perdue, Andy; Degerman, Eric (July 8, 2010). "These Northwest wineries are worth the road trip". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Google (December 16, 2018). "State Route 125" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  6. ^ a b 2015 Washington State Rail System by Owner (PDF) (Map). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 125: US 12 Jct (US 12 Uxing) to SR 124 Jct" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. March 29, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  8. ^ Ver Valen, Dian (April 10, 2017). "Trains on track to resume Dayton service". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  9. Washington State Transportation Commission. July 26, 2009. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on July 24, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  10. ^ "2017 State Highway National Highway System Routes in Washington" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  11. ^ a b 2016 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2017. pp. 145–146. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  12. ^ Dullenty, Jim (August 5, 1979). "Mullan Road traces settlers' steps". Tri-City Herald. p. 29.
  13. ^ Kramer, Becky (February 5, 1995). "Out of sight, out of mind". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 3.
  14. ^ Diaz, Alfred (January 29, 2012). "Section of Mullan Road to be recognized". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. A3. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  15. ^ Gibson, Elizabeth (March 7, 2006). "Walla Walla & Columbia River Railroad is completed from Wallula to Walla Walla on October 23, 1875". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  16. OCLC 13456066
    . Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via Google Books.
  17. OCLC 865936622
    . Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  18. ^ Paulus, Michael J. Jr. (August 12, 2011). "Waitsburg — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  19. ^ Thompson, Richard (2018). "Walla Walla Valley Railway". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  20. ^ "Military Highways Urged". The Spokesman-Review. January 30, 1918. p. 2 – via Google News Archive.
  21. ^ Rand McNally Official 1925 Auto Trails Map of Washington and Oregon (Map). 1:1,077,120. Rand McNally. 1925. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  22. OCLC 4647433
    . Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via Google Books.
  23. Newspapers.com
    .
  24. ^ "Chapter 185: Primary and Secondary State Highways" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1923. Washington State Legislature. March 19, 1923. p. 628. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  25. ^ Kershner, Jim (October 9, 2013). "Inland Empire Highway". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  26. ^ "Chapter 190: Establishment of Primary State Highways" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, Twenty-Fifth Session. Washington State Legislature. March 17, 1937. p. 935. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  27. ^ "Chapter 207: Classification of Public Highways" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, Twenty-Fifth Session. Washington State Legislature. March 18, 1937. p. 1000. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  28. OCLC 9587280
    . Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  29. ^ Rand McNally (1944). Highways of the State of Washington (Map). Washington State Department of Highways. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  30. ^ "Surfacing Job Completed on Sections Of Highway 410 Inside, Outside City". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. October 28, 1955. p. 1.
  31. ^ "State Highway Route Change Is Proposed to City Official". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. March 13, 1954. p. 2.
  32. ^ "Legislators to Meet On Highway Commission". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. June 3, 1966. p. 13.
  33. ^ "New Road Numbering Is Started". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. January 7, 1964. p. 5.
  34. ^ Prahl, C. G. (December 1, 1965). "Identification of State Highways" (PDF). Washington State Highway Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 17, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  35. ^ "Milton-Freewater Paper Reports on 82 Freeway". Heppner Gazette-Times. October 7, 1965. p. 5. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via Google News Archive.
  36. ^ "State, County Plan Highway Improvements; Bypass Route Plan Included in State Study Here". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. February 23, 1964. p. A4.
  37. ^ "Highways 125-11 in Two States Said Death Traps". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. October 1, 1968. p. 1.
  38. ^ a b "Owners of Garden Land Dislike Highway Route". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. May 22, 1968. p. 5.
  39. ^ "Highway Link Is Reviewed". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. July 19, 1967. p. 1.
  40. ^ "Public Speaks Up on Highway Plans". The Spokesman-Review. August 12, 1967. p. 6. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via Google News Arhchive.
  41. ^ Orchard, Vance (May 9, 1973). "Road Route Ideas Offered to Public". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 11.
  42. ^ "Inflation, gas crunch delay highway". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. May 7, 1974. p. 1.
  43. ^ "Highway department waiting for money for SR-12 bridge". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. April 4, 1974. p. 1.
  44. ^ Cockle, Dick (October 18, 1973). "Freeway opened to traffic". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 1.
  45. ^ Olsen, Ken (May 15, 1979). "Highway outlook gloomy: Local officials plead for highway projects". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 1.
  46. ^ Orchard, Vance (July 8, 1980). "State takes new look at road link through Fort Walla Walla". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 2.
  47. ^ O'Toole, Ken (July 6, 1984). "Plan to widen state Route 125 still under construction". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 1.
  48. ^ O'Toole, Ken (February 7, 1985). "Highway expansion plans hinge on acceptance". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 2.
  49. ^ O'Boyle, Robert (October 20, 1987). "Four-lane highway: 'Finally a priority'". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 2.
  50. ^ O'Boyle, Robert (July 31, 1988). "Speed limit is 55—even without signs". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 2.
  51. ^ "Caution: Road work ahead". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. August 1, 1997. p. 7.
  52. ^ Dillon, Naomi (August 2, 1998). "As the kids head back to school...It's time to review the mean streets—and intersections—of Walla Walla County". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 3.
  53. ^ Kramer, Becky (February 23, 1997). "Stoplights will have WW-to-M-F drivers seeing red in time for the new century". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 3.
  54. ^ Porter, Andy (November 16, 2008). "Myra Road extension dedication to be held". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. A1.
  55. ^ a b Porter, Andy (July 9, 2010). "Officials herald latest phase of US 12". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  56. ^ Porter, Andy (June 18, 2010). "US 12 section to open". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. A1.
  57. ^ Holt, Forrest (November 9, 2018). "State DOT officials make case for roundabout at Ninth and Plaza". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  58. ^ Maynes, Jedidiah (August 17, 2021). "Plaza Way roundabout now open in Walla Walla". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  59. ^ "SR 12: Junction SR 125 SP/Myra Road" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. October 3, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  60. ^ Google (December 16, 2018). "State Route 125 Spur" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  61. ^ a b 1990 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 1990. pp. 90–91. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  62. ^ "US 12 Frenchtown Vicinity to Walla Walla" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. July 2010. Retrieved December 16, 2018.

External links

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