Misplaced Pages

#908091

63-448: State Route 522 ( SR 522 ) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington that serves the Seattle metropolitan area . Approximately 25 miles (40 km) long, it connects the city of Seattle to the northeastern suburbs of Kenmore , Bothell , Woodinville , and Monroe . Its western half is primarily an arterial street , named Lake City Way and Bothell Way, that follows

126-546: A multi-use trail running along the lakefront on a former railroad grade . Bothell Way continues east along the northern shore of Lake Washington through the city of Kenmore , located on the mouth of the Sammamish River and home to the Kenmore Air Harbor seaplane base. SR 522 travels upriver through a narrow valley that makes a sharp turn north towards Bothell . The highway turns east and continues downhill of

189-590: A gap in the middle, and State Routes 35 , 168 , 230 , 276 , and most of SR 171 , 213 , and 704 , have not been constructed. Notable sections of state highways include the six crossings of the Cascade Range - the Columbia River Gorge ( SR 14 ), White Pass ( US 12 ), Chinook Pass ( SR 410 ), Snoqualmie Pass ( I-90 ), Stevens Pass ( US 2 ), and the North Cascades Highway ( SR 20 ). Of

252-641: A generally westward direction, where it is joined from the north by North Creek in Bothell near the University of Washington , and Swamp Creek in Kenmore. The Sammamish River enters Lake Washington on the west side of Kenmore. The Sammamish River basin covers an area from Everett in the north to May Valley in the south. It is part of the larger Lake Washington-Cedar River drainage. The total basin drainage area covers approximately 626 km (242 mi ), including

315-647: A grid, with even-numbered routes running east–west and odd-numbered routes running north–south. Even two-digit routes increase from south to north in three "strips", with SR 4 , SR 6 , and SR 8 in the western part of the state, SR 14 , SR 16 , SR 18 , and SR 20 along the Interstate 5 corridor, and SR 22 , SR 24 , SR 26 , SR 28 , and former SR 30 in the east. Odd numbers similarly increase from west to east, with SR 3 , Interstate 5 , SR 7 , SR 9 , SR 11 , SR 17 , SR 21 , SR 23 , SR 25 , SR 27 , and SR 31 following this general progression. ( SR 19

378-421: A modified pronunciation of the native village at Issaquah ) and was navigable over its entire length by shallow-draft steamers and was used to float logs and coal barges from Lake Sammamish to Lake Washington. The mouth of the river was east of its present position. Although early drainage and navigation improvement efforts in the first couple of decades of the 20th century likely affected the form and function of

441-536: A new single-point urban interchange at Echo Lake Road southwest of Monroe, was completed in 2006 at a cost of $ 37 million. The third stage of the SR ;522 corridor project was completed in 2014, widening the highway to four lanes across the Snohomish River and through Monroe to US 2, where a new eastbound offramp was also constructed separately in 2012. A new roundabout at the 164th Street Southeast interchange

504-633: A portion of Chuckanut Drive and a road around the west side of the Olympic Peninsula . Under a 1909 law, the State Highway Board surveyed a connected network of proposed state roads, The legislature added most of these routes to the state highway system in 1913, when they formed a two-tiered system of primary and secondary roads. Primary roads were completely controlled by the state, including maintenance, and received only names, while secondary roads kept their numbers and county maintenance. Unlike

567-535: A reduction in quality of life, and was abandoned by the Washington State Highway Commission in 1970 before being dropped from regional plans in 1973. A shorter bypass of Lake City was proposed in 1975 but drew criticism at public hearings and was dropped. Freeway plans in Monroe moved forward instead, with the completion of a two-mile-long (3.2 km) bypass to the west of downtown in 1972. SR 522

630-470: A section between SR 9 and Paradise Lake Road (SR 524) in Maltby at a cost of $ 22 million. At the time, the state government estimated that it would cost $ 82 million (equivalent to $ 135 million in 2023 dollars) to widen the remaining sections of SR 522; the projects had been prioritized under a 1998 ballot initiative, but funding was cut by Washington Initiative 695 . The second stage,

693-470: A series of ramps to collector streets. Lake City Way continues northeast through Maple Leaf as a four-lane arterial street before turning north on its approach to Thornton Creek . After crossing the creek, the highway enters the Lake City neighborhood, passing several car dealerships. Lake City itself is a designated urban village , with mixed-use development and apartment buildings that are centered around

SECTION 10

#1733085062909

756-630: A two-lane undivided highway . SR 522 travels northeast from Maltby, intersecting Echo Lake Road in a single-point urban interchange , and crosses the Snohomish River into Monroe . Within Monroe, the highway widens to a four-lane freeway with median separation and intersects Main Street in a dogbone interchange near the Monroe Correctional Complex . SR 522 cuts across suburban housing areas in Monroe, and crosses over US 2 and

819-492: Is currently working on restoring fish habitat along the river. Several species of birds and mammals are plentiful along the river, including waterfowl such as Canada geese , ducks , and the great blue heron . Bald eagles and beavers are also common sights near the river. The Sammamish River Trail is a paved bicycle and walking trail that runs along the river, from Marymoor Park in Redmond, to Bothell, where it connects to

882-745: Is scheduled to begin service in 2028 and will terminate at the NE 148th Street light rail station in Shoreline . The corridor has also been proposed for forms of rail transit since the mid-20th century, including the failed Forward Thrust ballot measures of 1968 and 1970, the Seattle Monorail Project , and light rail in the Sound Transit long-range plan. All exits are unnumbered. State highways in Washington All state highways are designated by

945-652: The BNSF Railway near the Evergreen State Fairgrounds . The highway makes a 180-degree turn south to intersect with US 2, where it terminates; the intersection also has a direct offramp for eastbound traffic from SR 522 to eastbound US 2. The entire route of SR 522 is designated as part of the National Highway System , classifying it as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility. The State of Washington also designates

1008-541: The Burke-Gilman Trail to Seattle . The Slough is also the main geographical feature of the former Wayne Golf Course in Bothell. The river is also the home of Sammamish Rowing Association which is a non-profit community rowing facility based on King County Parks property on the West shore supporting recreational and competitive rowing for high school and adult rowers. The Sammamish Rowing facility and boathouse are West of

1071-574: The Pacific Highway and later US 99 . The road later became a branch of Primary State Highway 2 (PSH 2) in 1937, and was extended east to Redmond and North Bend . A branch of the Stevens Pass Highway was built to connect PSH 2 in Bothell and Monroe in 1965, and was incorporated into SR 202 after it was designated in 1964. The Bothell–Monroe highway was re-designated as part of SR 522 in 1970, leaving SR 202 on

1134-458: The Roosevelt neighborhood of northern Seattle, east of Green Lake . The interchange only allows movements south towards Downtown Seattle on I-5, and includes a connection to the freeway's reversible express lane system. The highway travels northeast from the interchange, tunneling under the intersection of Roosevelt Way NE and NE 75th Street; the intersection itself is connected to SR 522 by

1197-652: The Washington State Legislature and codified in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), namely Chapter 47.17 RCW. These routes are defined generally by termini and points along the route; WSDOT may otherwise choose the details, and may bypass the designated points as long as the road serves the general vicinity. WSDOT's duties include "locating, designing, constructing, improving, repairing, operating, and maintaining" these state highways, including bridges and other related structures. Within cities and towns,

1260-538: The Washington State Legislature created the State Highway Board in 1905 and appropriated funds to construct - but not maintain - twelve numbered "state roads" in sparsely settled areas of the state. (Main highways in more populated areas would continue to be entirely under county control, though sometimes built with 50% state aid .) Six of these highways were east–west crossings of the Cascades; others included

1323-410: The "Boulevard Blowout" that featured 50 automobiles traversing the entire route between Seattle and Bothell. Most of the brick road was replaced in 1934, but a section south of downtown Bothell was preserved and remains known as Red Brick Road Park. The Bothell Road became part of the Pacific Highway in 1915, forming part of the highway that would continue north from Bothell towards Everett . In 1922,

SECTION 20

#1733085062909

1386-459: The 10.5-mile-long (16.9 km) stretch of SR 522 between Woodinville and Monroe was the site of over 1,100 accidents and 40 deaths. SR 522 has been named as one of the most dangerous highways in the United States by Reader's Digest in 1995 and Forbes in 2007, among other lists. The rock band "State Route 522" formed in 1995 by local indie rock musician Jake Snider was named for

1449-653: The 13 public road crossings of the Canada–US border in Washington, nine are on state highways. Major bridges include the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and three floating bridges : the Evergreen Point Bridge , Hood Canal Bridge , and Lake Washington Bridge . The Washington State Ferries , except the route to Sidney, British Columbia , were legally included in the state highway system in 1994; a new State Route 339

1512-679: The 1905 numbering. The state legislature adopted new standards for designating state highways in 1990, following a three-year study from the Road Jurisdiction Committee. Among the changes were recommending highways serving state parks and ferry terminals be added to the system. A major restructure was passed by the legislature in 1991 and took effect on April 1, 1992. Sammamish River The Sammamish River (also known as Sammamish Slough ) flows through north King County, Washington for about 14 miles (23 km), draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington . Along its course,

1575-570: The 1990s, and were expanded in the 2000s. In 2002, Sound Transit launched express Route 522, traveling between Downtown Seattle and Woodinville. The route was truncated to the Roosevelt light rail station when it opened in October 2021. Sound Transit plans to run a Stride bus rapid transit line on SR 522 from NE 145th Street to the University of Washington Bothell campus as part of its Sound Transit 3 program, approved in 2016. The S3 Line

1638-640: The Bothell Road, traveling along the Sammamish River to Woodinville, Redmond , and Fall City , was designated as a branch of the Sunset Highway (State Road 2) in 1925. The highway was later paved and incorporated into a longer branch of the Sunset Highway (re-designated as Primary State Highway 2 ) in 1937, running from Downtown Seattle to Fall City. The branch highway was extended to North Bend after

1701-624: The Bothell–North Bend highway. Since the late 1990s, the SR 522 corridor between Woodinville and Monroe has been partially converted to a freeway to address safety concerns and a growing population. Portions of the highway near Woodinville and Monroe were widened between 2001 and 2014, while other sections near Maltby remain two lanes wide and undivided , with improvement projects left unfunded. SR 522, named Lake City Way within Seattle city limits , begins at an interchange with I-5 in

1764-563: The RCW are "state route number 20 north" (signed as State Route 20 Spur ) and "state route number 97-alternate" (signed as U.S. Route 97 Alternate ). Some other spurs, such as State Route 503 Spur , are defined as part of the main routes, as is U.S. Route 101 Alternate . WSDOT has also defined some spurs that mainly serve to provide full access between intersecting routes. Although most state highways as defined by law are open to traffic, State Route 109 dead-ends at Taholah , State Route 501 has

1827-544: The Roosevelt neighborhood. SR 522 was truncated to I-5, removing Roosevelt Way and Eastlake Avenue from the state highway system. A four-level freeway interchange with I-405 east of Bothell was completed in 1969, creating a connection between SR 522 and SR 202. In 1968, the state highway department proposed the conversion of SR 522 into a freeway bypassing Lake City Way and Bothell Way. The plan drew heavy opposition from local residents, who feared bottlenecks and

1890-771: The SR 522 corridor as a Highway of Statewide Significance, which includes highways that connect major communities throughout the state. The highway is the primary route for Seattle-area residents to access Stevens Pass and other parts of the Cascade Mountains . SR 522 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 . In 2016, WSDOT calculated that 96,000 vehicles used SR 522 at its interchange with I-405 and 12,000 vehicles used it at its eastern terminus in Monroe,

1953-451: The SR 522 corridor project between Maltby and the Snohomish River were planned to be funded by the Roads and Transit ballot measure in 2007, before it was rejected by local voters. The 2015 state transportation package included $ 10 million in design funding for an interchange at Paradise Lake Road in Maltby, to be made available in 2025, but construction of the interchange and widening of

Washington State Route 522 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-430: The Sammamish River flows through Redmond , Woodinville , Bothell , and Kenmore . The river is named after the native people who once lived along its entire length. The Sammamish River begins as an outlet on the north shore of Lake Sammamish , which in turn is fed by several creeks that make up the headwaters of the Sammamish River basin. The most important of these is Issaquah Creek . The river flows north from

2079-462: The Sammamish River valley and reduced maximum flood elevations and seasonal water surface elevations in Lake Sammamish. The weir was modified in 1998 to improve passage for anadromous salmon during low flow. The Sammamish River is home to several runs of salmon and trout , including chinook , coho , sockeye , kokanee , steelhead , and coastal cutthroat trout . The King County government

2142-642: The branch of Primary State Highway 2 from Seattle to North Bend, and State Route 202 (SR 202) assigned to the branch of Primary State Highway 15 from Woodinville to Monroe. By 1970, SR 522 had been moved to the Bothell–Monroe Cutoff, while SR 202 was moved to the Woodinville–North Bend highway. The North Seattle section of the Everett–Seattle Freeway (now I-5) opened on August 28, 1963, including access to Bothell Way in

2205-431: The channel for navigation, to utilize the floodplain for agriculture, and to reduce flooding in the Sammamish River valley and Lake Sammamish. Prior to a new chanel being dug sometime prior to 1936, the river was wider and deeper and generally flowed more slowly due to a relatively small difference in elevation between Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. Prior to these modifications, the river was known as Squak Slough (after

2268-528: The city's downtown business district, staying near the Sammamish River (and the Sammamish River Trail ) and intersecting Bothell Way (formerly SR 527 ). Leaving Bothell, SR 522 then travels around the southern edge of University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College campus and intersects I-405 , becoming a grade-separated freeway . East of I-405, SR 522 enters Woodinville and follows Little Bear Creek as it turns north away from

2331-575: The city's downtown, intersecting SR 202 . The freeway enters Snohomish County and intersects SR 9 south of the Brightwater sewage treatment plant . It continues through several sharp turns that follow the Eastside Rail Corridor , a former railroad grade that runs northeasterly through the predominantly rural area near Grace . In Maltby , the freeway reaches an at-grade intersection with Paradise Lake Road ( SR 524 ) and becomes

2394-570: The construction of a highway bypass for US 2 to the north of the city. The project would include a northern extension of SR 522 to intersect the realigned US 2 near Kelsey Street and Chain Lake Road. The western portion of SR 522, including Lake City Way and Bothell Way, is a major public transit corridor for the region and is served by Sound Transit Express and King County Metro bus routes. Bus lanes were added to sections of SR 522 in Seattle, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore in

2457-597: The earlier state roads, these primary roads mostly followed existing passable county roads. A 1923 restructuring of the system reassigned numbers to almost all the primary state highways, which were soon marked on signs. In 1937, the old primary/secondary split was abolished, and a new system of primary and secondary state highways was created, all to be maintained by the state in the same manner. The old state roads all kept their numbers as new primary state highways, and secondary state highways were created as alphanumeric branches of those primary highways (for instance SSH 8D

2520-450: The elevation difference between Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington and increased the flow rate of the river. It also moved the mouth of the river westward. The second major change resulted from a King County/ACOE channel dredging, straightening project completed in November 1964 that included construction of a weir at the Lake Sammamish source. This project practically eliminated flooding in

2583-499: The first stages of the SR 522 corridor project, including the addition of median rumble strips and improved pavement markers in 1995, which helped reduce head-on collisions. The city of Monroe replaced the eastern half of SR 522's interchange with Main Street (164th Street Southeast) with a roundabout , the first to be built in Snohomish County, in 2001. The first stage of the corridor project, completed in 2001, widened

Washington State Route 522 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-418: The general fund at the behest of Governor Mike Lowry . The 1994 supplemental transportation budget included $ 2 million for engineering studies on SR 522, with construction of a four-lane freeway funded through other means. State lawmakers recommended tolling SR 522 to pay off construction bonds , but the plan was shelved after opposition from local residents. Existing state funds were used for

2709-454: The highest and lowest counts along the highway, respectively. Logging settlements were established on the northern shore of Lake Washington in the 1860s and 1870s, relying primarily on the water for intercity transportation. The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was built along the lakefront in 1888, connecting Seattle to the new towns of Bothell and Kenmore. By the 1890s, unpaved logging trails had been completed along Lake Washington and

2772-418: The highway. In response to the crashes on SR 522, local residents organized a grassroots campaign (named "Citizens Rallying for a Safer Highway") to petition the state for safety improvements and a highway widening. In 1993, the state legislature allocated $ 180 million (equivalent to $ 343 million in 2023 dollars) in funding towards a five-stage widening project, but the funds were transferred to

2835-483: The intersection of Lake City Way between NE 125th Street and NE 145th Street. At NE 145th Street, SR 522 intersects SR 523 and crosses into Lake Forest Park . Beyond Seattle, the highway is named Bothell Way and follows the northern shore of Lake Washington . SR 522 intersects Ballinger Way ( SR 104 ) at the central shopping center in Lake Forest Park, and is joined by the Burke-Gilman Trail ,

2898-486: The lake through the city of Redmond. The tributary Bear Creek joins the Sammamish from the east, also containing the waters from Evans Creek and Cottage Lake Creek . After passing through Redmond and parts of unincorporated King County, the Sammamish enters Woodinville where it turns northwest and then west. Little Bear Creek joins the Sammamish at this western turning point from the north. The river continues to bend in

2961-408: The local governments are responsible for certain aspects of the streets maintained as parts of a state highway, including their grade and the portion not used for highway purposes. All routes, even Interstate and U.S. Highways, are defined as "state route number" plus the number; for instance, Interstate 5 is "state route number 5" and U.S. Route 395 is "state route number 395". Also included in

3024-501: The northern shore of Lake Washington ; the eastern half is a grade-separated freeway that runs between Woodinville and Monroe. SR 522 connects several of the metropolitan area's major highways, including Interstate 5 (I-5), I-405 , SR 9 , and U.S. Route 2 (US 2). The present-day route of SR 522 was built in stages between 1907 and 1965, beginning with the Red Brick Road from Seattle to Bothell, then part of

3087-433: The opening of a Sunset Highway bypass in 1941, using the former mainline road. Another branch of the Bothell Road, from Bothell to the Stevens Pass Highway (Primary State Highway 15) in Monroe, was proposed by the state good roads association in the late 1930s. In 1941, funding for this segment was rejected by the state senate , in favor of completing the highway between Everett and Monroe first. The Bothell–Monroe Cutoff

3150-530: The original road alignment through modern-day Lake City was bypassed by the new, concrete-paved Victory Way, dedicated in the memory of World War I veterans . The Pacific Highway was incorporated into a new national highway system that was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials on November 11, 1926, and numbered as US 99 . On October 15, 1927, the North Trunk Highway

3213-400: The railroad, reaching as far northeast as Maltby. Bothell businessman and good roads advocate Gerhard Ericksen successfully lobbied the Washington State Legislature to fund the construction of a road from Seattle to Bothell as a State Aid Road and Permanent Highway in 1903. The first section of the highway, traveling 7 miles (11.3 km) from Ravenna Park in Seattle to Lake Forest Park,

SECTION 50

#1733085062909

3276-484: The remaining segment remains unfunded. The preliminary design options for the future diamond interchange would place the main ramps at either SR 524 or Paradise Lake Road. A coalition of politician and business leaders named "Finish522" was formed in 2018 to lobby the state government for barriers and complete grade separation in the wake of several fatal crashes in the mid-2010s. Long-term plans from WSDOT to address increasing traffic congestion in downtown Monroe include

3339-487: The river, the most significant modifications occurred as a result of two largely federal-funded navigation and flood control projects. The first major change occurred as a result of the reduction in the mean level and seasonal elevation range of Lake Washington in 1916 as part of the development of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Lock system, which officially opened June 16, 1917. This effectively increased

3402-421: The surface of Lake Sammamish. Big Bear Creek is the largest of the four major tributaries that feed the river followed by Little Bear Creek, North Creek, and Swamp Creek. There is also a significant amount of more diffuse drainage, primarily originating from the hills and valley to the west of the river. The Sammamish River of the early 1900s has been extensively modified as a result of various human efforts to use

3465-478: Was a branch of PSH 8 ). The final renumbering was authorized by law in 1963 and posted in January 1964, when new "sign route" numbers were assigned that matched the inter-state systems and otherwise formed the present grid. Until 1970, these numbers coexisted with the older primary and secondary state highways, when the legislature adopted the sign route numbers as "state routes", finally eliminating all vestiges of

3528-520: Was added in 1991, and lies west of SR 3; SR 35 and SR 41 are extensions of highways in adjacent states.) Three-digit routes (and SR 92 and SR 96 ) are usually numbered by taking the first one or two digits of a route it connects to and adding another digit or two. In some cases, instead of using the two-digit route's actual number, a number that would fit the grid is used instead. Three-digit routes have been numbered as follows: After passing several early laws designating state roads starting in 1893,

3591-503: Was also opened as part of the project, completing the dogbone interchange. A separate project to build a new intersection with flyover ramps at the south end of the University of Washington Bothell campus was completed in 2009 at a cost of $ 52.3 million. A 3 ⁄ 4 -mile (1.2 km) section of SR 522 in Downtown Bothell was rebuilt in 2013 to improve safety and eliminate a hazardous intersection. The remaining stages of

3654-498: Was completed in 1907 and was pronounced by The Seattle Times as one of the "finest pieces of road to be found anywhere in the United States". From 1911 to 1913, the state and county government paved 4 miles (6.4 km) of the highway between Lake Forest Park and Bothell with bricks . The highway, named the Ericksen Road after its promoter and Bothell Road after the city of Bothell, was opened on January 10, 1914, in an event named

3717-573: Was created at that time for the passenger-only Seattle-Vashon Ferry . According to the Washington State Department of Licensing , ocean beaches are legally state highways with a general speed limit of 25 mph (40 km/h), many only open to vehicles between the day after Labor Day and April 14, but state law places the beaches under the control of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and only designates them as " public highways ". Most state routes are numbered in

3780-512: Was designated as a branch of Primary State Highway 15 in 1943, with a provision that the highway would be constructed after the completion of the Everett–Monroe route. The King County government also unsuccessfully lobbied in the early 1950s for a 23-mile (37 km) highway connecting Duvall to Skykomish along the Tolt River as an alternative to the Monroe cutoff. Construction of the highway

3843-503: Was moved from its routing on Main Street to the new freeway, which terminated at US 2 and removed a railroad grade crossing from the route. Since the 1980s, population growth in Monroe and around the SR 522 has resulted in increased traffic congestion and safety issues, including a rise in accidents and crashes. The highway was originally designed for eventual conversion into a four-lane freeway, with leftover right-of-way and bridge approaches built in 1965. Between 1980 and 1995,

SECTION 60

#1733085062909

3906-506: Was opened between Seattle and Everett, providing a shorter and more direct route that would later be designated as US 99 and the Pacific Highway. The Bothell Highway was renovated from Seattle to Lake Forest Park in 1939, including a widening to four lanes and straightening of some segments. Part of the highway in Seattle city limits was renamed to Lake City Way in 1967, after lobbying from Lake City businessmen. An unpaved extension of

3969-597: Was pushed back to 1961, and it was further delayed by rainy weather. The 8.2-mile-long (13.2 km) Bothell–Monroe Cutoff opened on February 10, 1965, costing $ 5.3 million (equivalent to $ 39 million in 2023 dollars) and cutting 20 minutes in travel time between Seattle and the Stevens Pass ski area. In 1963, the state legislature commissioned a new state highway numbering system to ease confusion over similarly numbered routes. The new system debuted in 1964, initially with State Route 522 (SR 522) assigned to

#908091