Washington State Route 821
Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway | ||||
Route information | ||||
Auxiliary route of I-82 | ||||
Maintained by WSDOT | ||||
Length | 25.21 mi[1] (40.57 km) | |||
Existed | 1973–present | |||
Tourist routes | Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | I-82 / US 97 near Selah | |||
SR 823 near Selah | ||||
North end | I-82 / US 97 near Ellensburg | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Washington | |||
Counties | Yakima, Kittitas | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
State Route 821 (SR 821) is a
SR 821 was established in 1973 on the old alignment of US 97, which usurped previous state roads that were part of the
Route description
SR 821 begins at an interchange with
Near the south end of the Yakima River Canyon, which cuts across the
Further north of the ranch is the parking lot for the
SR 821 is designated as the Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway by the state government, recognizing its natural beauty and recreational opportunities.
SR 821 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 highway's daily vehicle counts range from a minimum of 1,100 vehicles at its northern terminus to a maximum of 5,100 at its southern terminus.[21] SR 821 generally consists of two lanes with a width of 11 feet (3.4 m), with occasional shoulders, and a posted speed limit of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).[7] Sections of the highway are closed for day-long events that are held annually, including a cattle drive in January or February,[22] a marathon and bicycle tour in the spring, and a heritage tractor run in the summer.[7][23]
History
The Yakima River Canyon was historically avoided by Native Americans and later American settlers, who preferred
A road link between Ellensburg and Yakima remained a priority for the state government, who appropriated funds in 1909 to survey the area for a potential state highway.
Construction on the graded highway, using a surface of crushed rocks, through the Yakima Canyon began in 1920 and was completed on September 12, 1924.
Beginning in 1996, the state government embarked on a targeted anti-drunk driving campaign along SR 821, which had been the site of over 115 collisions between 1992 and 1995, of which 25 were alcohol-related.[44] The first year of the campaign was hailed as a success, with two consecutive summer months without a recorded collision and 2,200 police stops for driving violations.[45] Eight separate sections of the highway were closed for several weeks in July 1998 due to rockslides and washouts brought by 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rainfall on July 3.[46] The repair cost $750,000 and used funds from the Federal Highway Administration, acquired via an emergency proclamation signed by Governor Gary Locke.[47][48]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yakima | | 0.00 | 0.00 | I-82 / US 97 – Ellensburg, Yakima | |
| 0.29 | 0.47 | SR 823 south (Harrison Road) – Selah | ||
Kittitas | | 25.21 | 40.57 | I-82 / US 97 – Ellensburg, Yakima | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
References
- ^ a b 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. 1674–1676. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Yakima County Community Wildfire Protection Plan" (PDF). Washington State Department of Natural Resources. July 2015. pp. 82–83. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 821: I-82 Jct (Selah) to I-82 Jct (Ellensburg)" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. March 29, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Ferolito, Phil (February 27, 2018). "For 50 years, Sundown M Ranch has been helping people battle addictions". Yakima Herald-Republic. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c Google (August 12, 2018). "State Route 821" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- Washington State Transportation Commission. May 2006. p. 8. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Meyers, Donald W. (August 11, 2017). "Road cut through Yakima River Canyon improves travel". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Wenas Cooperative Road Management Area Map (PDF) (Map). Washington State Department of Natural Resources. May 1, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Yakima River Canyon Campgrounds". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b Engstrom, Tim (May 25, 2004). "The Bridges of Kittitas County: Umtanum footbridge". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Washington State's Scenic Byways & Road Trips" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. July 2018. pp. 86–87. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ Johnston, Mike (January 30, 2012). "Eaton family cattle drive offers glimpse into Old West". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Gallagher, Michael (June 12, 2014). "Canyon River Ranch providing scenery, meals and music". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Holappa, Karl (May 10, 2018). "Developers continue plans for resort in Yakima River Canyon". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Yakima River Canyon" (PDF). Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "SR 82 – Exit 3: Junction SR 821/Thrall Road" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. October 25, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Moreno, Julia (August 20, 2016). "Tourism in Yakima River Canyon increased". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ Klauss, Nicole (February 21, 2014). "Funding for interpretive center at Helen McCabe State Park reviewed". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Kittitas County cancels Yakima River Canyon Center project, returns funds". Yakima Herald-Republic. March 18, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ 2016 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2017. p. 214. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Bemis, Shanai (February 12, 2018). "Annual cattle drive moves cows through Yakima Canyon". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ Johnston, Mike (September 11, 2008). "Old farming ways come to life this weekend in Ellensburg". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- .
- ^ "Chapter 51: Providing for Survey of Certain State Roads" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1909. Washington State Legislature. March 4, 1909. pp. 94–96. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- Kennewick Courier. May 31, 1912. p. 3. Retrieved July 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Yakima Canyon Road Is Nearly Completed". The Seattle Times. August 15, 1924. p. 13.
- Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ "Yakima Highway Is Wonder". The Seattle Times. January 6, 1924. p. 4.
- ^ Tenth Biennial Report of the State Highway Engineer. Washington State Highway Commission. October 1924. p. 18. Retrieved August 16, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "A Century in Yakima—Remembering 100 Years". Yakima Herald-Republic. January 1, 2000. p. A1.
- ^ Rand McNally Official 1925 Auto Trails Map of Washington and Oregon (Map). 1:1,077,120. Rand McNally. 1925. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
- .
- ^ Kershner, Jim (October 9, 2013). "Inland Empire Highway". HistoryLink. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ Foster, Barbara W. (November 21, 1971). "A new route to Yakima". The Seattle Times. p. 12.
- ^ Olds, Virginia (May 27, 1970). "I-82 crosses virgin country southward from Ellensburg". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. p. 1. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via Google News Archive.
- OCLC 29654162. Retrieved September 7, 2018 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
- ^ Johnston, Mike (March 26, 2011). "Sense of place: Yakima River Canyon". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ "Yakima Canyon Route Becomes Quiet, Scenic". Tri-City Herald. December 8, 1971. p. 35.
- ^ "New Name, Speed Limit For U.S. 97". The Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. October 19, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chapter 151: State Highways—Route Designations" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1973 1st extraordinary session. Washington State Legislature. April 25, 1973. pp. 1095–1098. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ Ellensburg South Quadrangle, Washington—Kittitas Co (Map). 1:24,000. United States Geological Survey. 1978. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ Herrington, Gregg (January 26, 1996). "Keeping a scenic byway looking good". The Columbian. Vancouver, Washington. p. A2. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ Brandt, Aviva L. (May 26, 1996). "Crackdown on 'killer' highway". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. p. B1. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ "Dateline Washington". The Columbian. Vancouver, Washington. Associated Press. September 24, 1996. p. A3.
- ^ Rose, Joseph; Wasson, David (July 4, 1998). "Wild weather wreaks havoc". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ Lester, David (July 16, 1998). "Gov. Gary Locke signs emergency measure for road repair". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "Yakima River Canyon beckons recreationalists". Yakima Herald-Republic. July 31, 1998. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.