Washington State Route 240

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Hanford Nuclear Reservation
Major intersections
East end US 395 in Kennewick
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountiesBenton
Highway system
← SR 231→ SR 241

State Route 240 (SR 240) is a

Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the Tri-Cities region. The highway begins at a junction with SR 24 and travels around Richland on a limited-access bypass. From there, it briefly overlaps Interstate 182 (I-182) and continues southeast as a freeway along the Columbia River into Kennewick, terminating at an interchange with U.S. Route 395 (US 395). SR 240 is one of the busiest highways in the Tri-Cities region, with a daily average of 76,000 vehicles on a section crossing the Yakima River Delta
.

The riverfront route between Richland and Kennewick was part of a 19th-century

Inland Empire Highway, a state road established in 1913. It was incorporated into US 410 in 1926 and was part of US 12 from 1967 to 1986. The highway through the Hanford Nuclear Reservation was established as a state highway in the 1950s and opened on July 14, 1965, to connect Richland to the Vernita Bridge
on SR 24.

Route description

Hanford Nuclear Reservation

SR 240 begins at an intersection with

Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Hanford Reach National Monument) and the rest of the Hanford Site, including the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory.[3][4] Cold Creek empties into the Yakima River near the Horn Rapids Dam, where the highway intersects SR 225, which continues southwest to Benton City.[2][5]

About one mile (1.6 km) downstream from the dam, SR 240 enters the city of

business route of SR 240, while Stevens Drive continues north to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.[5]

The four-mile (6.4 km) Bypass Highway is followed to the west by the

combination interchange with George Washington Way, a local road that carries part of SR 240 Business.[10] From the interchange, SR 240 turns south and crosses the Yakima River towards Kennewick, while I-182 and US 12 continue east across the Columbia River to Pasco.[2][5]

Aerial view of SR 240 along the Columbia River in Kennewick

SR 240 continues across the

dogbone interchange with US 395 at the south end of the Blue Bridge. The interchange also includes direct ramps to the northbound lanes of US 395 as well as access to Columbia Drive, a local street that connects to downtown Kennewick.[5][15] The junction is located near the site where the Kennewick Man, a skeleton belonging to a 9,000-year-old man, was discovered in 1996.[16]

SR 240 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on the state's highways to measure traffic volume in terms of annual average daily traffic. The busiest section of the highway, across the Yakima River Delta south of I-182, carried a daily average of 76,000 vehicles in 2016; the least busiest section of the highway, near its intersection with SR 24, carried only 2,600 vehicles.[3][17] The Bypass Highway section of SR 240 in Richland is designated as part of the National Highway System, a network of roads identified as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility.[18][19] The corridor, along with the freeway section from Richland to Kennewick, was also designated as a Highway of Statewide Significance by the Washington State Legislature.[3][20]

History

The highway between Richland and Kennewick was originally part of the first federal

national highway system in 1926 as part of US 410 between Yakima and Pasco.[30][31] The Columbia Trail portion of US 410 was paved in concrete by the Benton County government in 1932, constituting the region's first paved highway.[32]

The road along Cold Creek was closed in November 1943 as part of the establishment of a federal weapons development facility at the Hanford Site during World War II.[33] To serve the new facility and evacuate residents in the event of an emergency,[34] a four-lane highway bypassing Richland to the west was constructed by the county government in July 1948, connecting to US 410 with a new bridge over the Yakima River.[35][36] The four-lane bridge was built by the Atomic Energy Commission and opened in 1951, replacing a bailey bridge that had been in use since 1948.[37] The remaining stretch of US 410 was moved to an expressway connecting with the new Pioneer Memorial Bridge, which opened on July 30, 1954.[38][39]

A section of the Richland Bypass Highway, opened in 1948 and later incorporated into SR 240, as seen from SR 224

The southern section of the Richland bypass, terminating near Hanford, was designated as Secondary State Highway 3R (SSH 3R) in 1953 and extended west via modern

gas tax funds to construct it, despite opposition from Yakima legislators.[44] Under the state law, passed despite opposition from Yakima legislators, SSH 11C would not be built until a bridge replacing the Vernita ferry was ready for traffic.[45][46] The 22-mile (35 km) highway was rebuilt at a cost of $770,000 (equivalent to $5.68 million in 2023 dollars)[47] and opened on July 14, 1965, linking Richland to the nearly-complete Vernita Bridge.[48][49] An additional 7 miles (11 km) of the highway, bypassing the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in North Richland, opened on June 20, 1968.[50][51]

SR 240 was created during the 1964 state highway renumbering as part of the new sign route system, replacing SSH 11C and the eastern section of SSH 3R.[52][53] The Richland–Kennewick freeway was renumbered in 1967 after US 12 was extended west to replace portions of US 410.[54] US 12 was then moved onto the newly completed I-182 in the 1985 and SR 240 was extended east to a junction with the relocated US 395 in Kennewick.[55][56] The Richland Bypass was also widened from two lanes to five in 1980, at a cost of $1.83 million.[57][58]

The population of the Tri-Cities region grew substantially in the late 20th century, causing increased traffic congestion on the urban sections of SR 240. A $58 million highway widening program was completed in 2007 by WSDOT, expanding SR 240 to six lanes between Stevens Drive and Columbia Center Boulevard.

dogbone interchange with two roundabouts to improve safety and traffic flow.[62][63] Due to remaining congestion issues on the Bypass Highway, WSDOT is considering several strategies to increase capacity, including reversible lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and opening the shoulder to traffic during peak periods.[3][64] Long-term plans from the City of Richland propose the conversion of the Bypass into a full freeway with interchanges and right-in/right-out access to replace existing intersections.[65]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Benton County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
​0.000.00 SR 24 – Othello, Vantage, YakimaWestern terminus; continues as SR 24 eastbound
​20.4832.96
Hanford Nuclear Reservation
SR 240 Bus.
south (Jadwin Avenue) / Stevens Drive
30.2548.68
 SR 224 west / Van Giesen Street – West Richland
West end of freeway
33.1053.27


 I-182 west / US 12 west to I-82 – Yakima, Pendleton		West end of I-182/US 12 overlap
34.2255.07

 I-182 east / US 12 east / George Washington Way – Pasco		East end of I-182/US 12 overlap
SR 240 Bus.
north (George Washington Way)
35.9557.86Columbia Park Trail
37.0559.63Columbia Center Boulevard –
Toyota Center
Kennewick38.6262.15Edison Street
40.5165.19Columbia Park Trail –
Columbia Park
Westbound exit and entrance only
41.3166.48 US 395 / Columbia Drive – Pasco, Spokane, PendletonEastern terminus; continues as Columbia Drive
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Business route

Business plate.svg

State Route 240 Business marker

State Route 240 Business

LocationRichland
Length4.0 mi (6.4 km)

State Route 240 Business (SR 240 Bus.) is a business route of State Route 240 within the city of Richland. It travels north–south through the city's main commercial center, primarily on George Washington Way and Jadwin Avenue, from the eastern interchange with I-182 to the Stevens Drive intersection at the north end of the Richland Bypass. The northbound lanes continue on George Washington Way and travel west on McMurray Street before joining Jadwin Avenue, while the southbound lanes stay on Jadwin Avenue until it intersects George Washington Way near Howard Amon Park.[66] Sections of George Washington Way carry a daily average of 42,000 vehicles and are also listed as part of the National Highway System.[67][68]

References

  1. ^ a b c 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. 1192–1198. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Washington State Department of Transportation (2014). Washington State Highways, 2014–2015 (PDF) (Map). Olympia: Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 7, 2018. (Inset map)
  3. ^ a b c d e f "WSDOT Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 240: SR 24 (Vernita Vic) Jct to US 395 Jct (Kennewick)" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. March 29, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  4. ^ Cary, Annette (October 4, 2019). "More exciting discoveries expected from Richland LIGO observatory with this big change". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d Google (August 7, 2018). "State Route 240" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  6. ^ Kershner, Jim (June 25, 2014). "Hanford's Southern Connection Rail Line". HistoryLink. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  7. ^ Culverwell, Wendy (May 17, 2018). "A Richland restaurant owner died crossing a street. His family says the city is to blame". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  8. ^ a b City of Richland: Trails and Bike Routes GIS Map (Map). City of Richland. January 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  9. ^ "SR 182 – Exit 4: Junction SR 240" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. October 4, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  10. ^ "SR 182 – Exit 5: Junction SR 240/George Washington Way" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. December 9, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  11. ^ 2015 Washington State Rail System by Owner (PDF) (Map). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  12. ^ Cycling Tri-Cities (PDF) (Map). Benton-Franklin Council of Governments. May 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  13. ^ "SR 240: Junction Columbia Center Blvd" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. May 22, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  14. ^ Culverwell, Wendy (January 12, 2016). "Port of Kennewick aims for Vista Field construction start in 2017". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  15. ^ "SR 395: Junction SR 240" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. December 17, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  16. ^ Lyke, M. L. (August 28, 1997). "Of spirits, skeletons, science: 'Kennewick Man' in demand". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. A1.
  17. ^ 2016 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2017. pp. 166–167. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  18. ^ National Highway System: Kennewick—Pasco, WA (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. March 25, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  19. ^ "What is the National Highway System?". Federal Highway Administration. January 31, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  20. Washington State Transportation Commission. July 26, 2009. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on July 24, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  21. OCLC 2104676
    . Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  22. doi:10.6067/XCV8Q52NFP. GL–98–13. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via The Digital Archaeological Record
    .
  23. Columbia Park
    : Benton County Historical and Pioneer Association. n.d.
  24. ^ "Hanford Highway Follows Route Of First Federal Road In The West". Tri-City Herald. July 13, 1965. p. 10.
  25. ^ Pasco Quadrangle, Washington (Map). 1:125,000. United States Geological Survey. 1917. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  26. ^ "Richland Springs From Pioneer Tri-City Town". Tri-City Herald. September 22, 1954. p. B22.
  27. Kennewick Courier. March 3, 1911. p. 1. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Chronicling America
    .
  28. ^ Kershner, Jim (October 9, 2013). "Inland Empire Highway". HistoryLink. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  29. ^ Washington State Department of Highways; Rand McNally (1944). Highways of the State of Washington (Map). Olympia: Washington State Department of Highways. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  30. OCLC 4329148
    . Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  31. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Wikimedia Commons
    .
  32. ^ Woehler, Bob (April 19, 1979). "Concrete highway being poured around Prosser". Tri-City Herald. p. 3.
  33. ^ McDonald, Lucile (July 16, 1961). "Road-Construction Is Extensive, But Changes Are Subtle". The Seattle Times. p. 4.
  34. The Internet Archive
    .
  35. ^ "Richland Highway Jobs Get Going In High Gear". Tri-City Herald. June 24, 1948. p. 1.
  36. ^ "Five Injured In Collision At Richland; First Bad Crash On New Bypass". Tri-City Herald. July 24, 1948. p. 1.
  37. ^ "Richland's Yakima River Bridge Woes Are Long Past". Tri-City Herald. July 29, 1954. p. A22.
  38. ^ Miller, Roland (July 30, 1954). "New Columbia River Bridge Linking Tri-Cities Opened". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. p. 1.
  39. ^ Walla Walla, Washington; Oregon (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. 1953 [revised 1963]. Retrieved August 17, 2018 – via Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection.
  40. ^ "Chapter 280: Highways—Routes—Appropriations—Defense Roads" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1953. Washington State Legislature. March 23, 1953. p. 735. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  41. ^ "Chapter 383: Highways" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1955. Washington State Legislature. March 21, 1955. pp. 1583–1584. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  42. ^ "Hanford Highway Job Studied". The Seattle Times. November 15, 1959. p. 73.
  43. Newspapers.com
    .
  44. Port Angeles Evening News
    . Associated Press. p. 7. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Richland-Vernita Road Opposed". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. March 27, 1961. p. 2.
  46. ^ "Solons Send Highway Bill To Governor". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. March 29, 1961. p. 2.
  47. Gross Domestic Product deflator
    figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  48. ^ "Highway Opened". The Daily Chronicle. Centralia, Washington. July 15, 1965. p. 16. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ "Chapter 21: Highways" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1961 1st extraordinary session. Washington State Legislature. April 3, 1961. pp. 2624–2625. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  50. ^ "Highway Link Opens". The Daily Chronicle. Centralia, Washington. Associated Press. June 20, 1968. p. 8. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "Hanford's 'Missing Link' Dedication Due Tomorrow". Tri-City Herald. July 19, 1968. p. 1.
  52. Washington State Highway Commission
    . Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  53. ^ Hauptli, Jack (February 23, 1964). "Highway Department Plays The Numbers Game!". The Seattle Times. pp. 10–11.
  54. ^ "Highway 410 Is Now U.S. No. 12". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. December 28, 1967. p. 1.
  55. ^ "Chapter 177: State Highway Routes Revised" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1985. Washington State Legislature. April 25, 1985. pp. 673–674. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  56. ^ "New numbers for old roads". Tri-City Herald. April 12, 1985. p. B1.
  57. ^ Woehler, Bob (February 15, 1981). "Road projects running out of gas". Tri-City Herald. p. B22.
  58. ^ Woehler, Bob (February 17, 1980). "Highway 14, Richland Bypass problems tackled". Tri-City Herald. p. B28.
  59. ^ "SR 240 - Tri-Cities Additional Lanes - Complete June 2007". Washington State Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  60. HighBeam
    .
  61. ^ "SR 240 – Tri-Cities Additional Lanes Folio" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. June 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  62. ^ Dupler, Michelle (November 4, 2009). "Officials heap praise on new interchange project". Tri-City Herald. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  63. ^ "Project Folio: US 395 – Columbia Drive to SR 240: Rebuild Interchange" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. July 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  64. ^ Cary, Annette (December 16, 2018). "It's the most congested stretch of Tri-City roadway. What can be done about it?". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  65. ^ DKS Associates (February 2005). "Chapter 8: Motor Vehicles". Richland Citywide Transportation Plan (Report). City of Richland. p. 30. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  66. ^ Google (August 16, 2018). "State Route 240 Business" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  67. ^ "South George Washington Way Improvements". City of Richland. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  68. ^ "2016 Local Agency National Highway System Routes in Washington" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 15, 2018.

External links

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