169-707: Interstate 82 ( I-82 ) is an Interstate Highway in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States that travels through parts of Washington and Oregon . It runs 144 miles (232 km) from its northwestern terminus at I-90 in Ellensburg, Washington , to its southeastern terminus at I-84 in Hermiston, Oregon . The highway passes through Yakima and the Tri-Cities , and is also part of
338-535: A concurrency or overlap. For example, I‑75 and I‑85 share the same roadway in Atlanta ; this 7.4-mile (11.9 km) section, called the Downtown Connector , is labeled both I‑75 and I‑85. Concurrencies between Interstate and US Highway numbers are also allowed in accordance with AASHTO policy, as long as the length of the concurrency is reasonable. In rare instances, two highway designations sharing
507-479: A multi-use trail for bicyclists and pedestrians. After crossing into Oregon, the freeway enters Umatilla and intersects US 730 , which becomes briefly concurrent with US 395 after it splits from I-82. I-82, designated as the unsigned McNary Highway No. 70 under Oregon's named highway system , continues southwestward across the Umatilla River around central Hermiston . The freeway runs along
676-699: A toll bridge that was built downstream from the McNary Dam in 1955. US 410 itself was replaced by a western extension of US 12 that was approved in June 1967. The Ellensburg–Pendleton corridor was authorized in 1956 but was not formally added to the Interstate system until October 17, 1957. The 132-mile (212 km) corridor was proposed by the Department of Defense and Washington senator Warren Magnuson in part to connect military facilities in
845-532: A trumpet interchange with I-90 , the state's major east–west freeway. I-82 travels southward in a concurrency with US 97 , which continues northwest along I-90 around Ellensburg and intersects with SR 821 at Thrall on the southern edge of the Kittitas Valley . The freeway climbs the Manastash Ridge , traveling southeastward around Yakima River Canyon , where SR 821 runs as
1014-651: A 28-year-old brevet lieutenant colonel, accompanied the trip "through darkest America with truck and tank," as he later described it. Some roads in the West were a "succession of dust, ruts, pits, and holes." As the landmark 1916 law expired, new legislation was passed—the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 (Phipps Act). This new road construction initiative once again provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement, $ 75 million allocated annually. Moreover, this new legislation for
1183-476: A change in the numbering system as a result of a new policy adopted in 1973. Previously, letter-suffixed numbers were used for long spurs off primary routes; for example, western I‑84 was I‑80N, as it went north from I‑80 . The new policy stated, "No new divided numbers (such as I-35W and I-35E , etc.) shall be adopted." The new policy also recommended that existing divided numbers be eliminated as quickly as possible; however, an I-35W and I-35E still exist in
1352-545: A crossing at Blalock Island that was favored by the Port of Morrow , Oregon leaders lobbied for the interstate to cross farther east at the existing Umatilla Bridge. The Prosser–Umatilla route remained the favored alignment for both states in the early part of the process of identifying alternatives, despite growing opposition from business leaders in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla who sought an interstate connection. In 1962,
1521-679: A hybrid dogbone – partial cloverleaf interchange at the Valley Mall . I-82 continues southward through Union Gap and splits from US 97 at the eponymous canyon, where it crosses the Yakima River with US 12. I-82 and US 12 travel southeastward in the shadow of the Rattlesnake Hills and along the north side of the Yakima River, opposite from US 97 and the BNSF Railway 's Yakima Valley Subdivision on
1690-533: A junction with I-80N near Pendleton, fulfilling the general goals of the project despite adding 37 miles (60 km) to the highway and costing another $ 36 million (equivalent to $ 258 million in 2023 dollars) to construct. Oregon legislators, particularly those representing the Umatilla area, remained opposed to the routing and accused Washington of trying to "pick-pocket" traffic bound for Oregon. The Washington State Highway Commission gave preliminary approval to
1859-423: A large degree of farming thanks to irrigation by the three nearby rivers. Wheat is the most commonly grown product; however, large amounts of apples , corn , grapes are also grown, along with potatoes , and other products including asparagus . Cherries are also grown in the region. Grapes grown in the region are essential to the wine industry. Wineries draw a large population of tourists. With 160 wineries in
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#17327804812982028-730: A local osprey population. The last section of the Yakima Valley Freeway to be built, running 15 miles (24 km) from Granger to Sunnyside and Grandview, was opened to traffic on October 29, 1982, shortly after a dedication ceremony to commemorate the Yakima Valley project. The routing of I-82 around the Tri-Cities and to the Umatilla Bridge was approved by the Benton County government in 1972, generally following SR 14 and bypassing Kennewick to
2197-664: A loop that crosses two bridges and runs along the Columbia River through both Kennewick and Pasco. Sacagawea Heritage Trail also connects with the Richland Riverfront Trail, a marked hiking trail that focuses on the state of Washington's contribution to the nuclear history of the United States. The confluence of the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia rivers provides ample opportunity for boating, fishing, and swimming. Free boat launches can be found throughout all of
2366-628: A meandering scenic byway . Here, I-82 also forms the western edge of the Yakima Firing Range , a military training and exercise facility that stretches across the plateau to the Columbia River Gorge . The freeway reaches its highest point at Vanderbilt Gap, which is 2,672 feet (814 m) above sea level and only 300 feet (91 m) lower than Snoqualmie Pass on I-90. From the gap, the highway crosses into Yakima County and turns southwestward as it begins its descent from
2535-534: A mountainous region along Route 218 and Route 207 . The easternmost route would follow US 395 between the California border and Pendleton, passing through a less-densely populated region but serving Burns and John Day . The study found that a new freeway would have little effect on economic growth in eastern Oregon and congestion relief in the Willamette Valley , but would provide
2704-715: A narrowed set of options around Umatilla that were both opposed by the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla. Support for the Wallula routing from the Tri-Cities waned in late 1973, allowing for a revival of the I-182 compromise proposed by the FHWA. The Washington commission approved a compromise route along the Horse Heaven Hills connecting Kennewick to the Umatilla Bridge, along with the I-182 spur to the Tri-Cities, in October 1973 and
2873-595: A national road grid with the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 . In 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System was established, creating the first national road numbering system for cross-country travel. The roads were state-funded and maintained, and there were few national standards for road design. United States Numbered Highways ranged from two-lane country roads to multi-lane freeways. After Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953, his administration developed
3042-647: A north–south route through central Washington and Oregon, and the Yakima–Walla Walla portion became part of US 410 , which connected Aberdeen to Lewiston, Idaho . In 1923, the Washington state government renumbered the Inland Empire Highway as State Road 3, which would carry over as Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3) in 1937. The federal highway system was expanded in the 1930s with an extension of US 395 along US 730 from
3211-474: A number of locally owned and operated restaurants. The Spudnut Shop, for example, located in northern Richland, was opened in 1948 and has been family-run ever since. The Travel Channel featured The Spudnut Shop and their donuts "made from potato flour and then deep-fried to perfection." Carmine's, also a family owned restaurant in the region, served Italian food in a historic home that was constructed in downtown Kennewick in 1929. The owners retired in 2021, closing
3380-515: A number of outdoor trail running locations. A number of competitive running events are held throughout the year, including a number which are sponsored by the Three Rivers Road Runners Club (3RRR). They include: The Tri-Cities is linked by a system of 67 miles (108 km) of paved pedestrian and bike trails that run through the various cities and along the rivers. The 23-mile (37 km) Sacagawea Heritage Trail forms
3549-589: A numbering scheme in which primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, and shorter routes which branch off of longer ones are assigned three-digit numbers where the last two digits match the parent route. The Interstate Highway System is partially financed through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself is funded by a combination of a federal fuel tax and transfers from the Treasury's general fund. Though federal legislation initially banned
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#17327804812983718-415: A pair of fossilized tusks belonging to a mastodon and Columbian mammoth were found by workers near Kiona and Plymouth, respectively, and were excavated by local archaeologists. The existing 12-mile (19 km) divided highway between Prosser and Kiona, built in 1960, was upgraded to Interstate standards in 1987 at a cost of $ 19.2 million (equivalent to $ 44.2 million in 2023 dollars). Construction of
3887-691: A part of the Inland Northwest in a generally northwest–southeast direction along the Yakima and Columbia rivers. The four-lane divided highway forms part of the link between Seattle and the inland West, which includes Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah . I-82 is a component of the Interstate Highway System and is also designated as an important national highway under the National Highway System . It
4056-491: A proposal for an interstate highway system, eventually resulting in the enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 . Unlike the earlier United States Numbered Highway System, the interstates were designed to be all freeways, with nationally unified standards for construction and signage. While some older freeways were adopted into the system, most of the routes were completely new. In dense urban areas,
4225-559: A report called Toll Roads and Free Roads , "the first formal description of what became the Interstate Highway System" and, in 1944, the similarly themed Interregional Highways . The Interstate Highway System gained a champion in President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy that drove in part on
4394-409: A single digit prefixed to the two-digit number of its parent Interstate Highway. Spur routes deviate from their parent and do not return; these are given an odd first digit. Circumferential and radial loop routes return to the parent, and are given an even first digit. Unlike primary Interstates, three-digit Interstates are signed as either east–west or north–south, depending on the general orientation of
4563-801: A speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) because it is a parkway that consists of only one lane per side of the highway. On the other hand, Interstates 15, 80, 84, and 215 in Utah have speed limits as high as 70 mph (115 km/h) within the Wasatch Front , Cedar City , and St. George areas, and I-25 in New Mexico within the Santa Fe and Las Vegas areas along with I-20 in Texas along Odessa and Midland and I-29 in North Dakota along
4732-460: A speed limit of 80 mph (130 km/h). Other Interstates in Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming also have the same high speed limits. In some areas, speed limits on Interstates can be significantly lower in areas where they traverse significantly hazardous areas. The maximum speed limit on I-90 is 50 mph (80 km/h) in downtown Cleveland because of two sharp curves with
4901-474: A suggested limit of 35 mph (55 km/h) in a heavily congested area; I-70 through Wheeling, West Virginia , has a maximum speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) through the Wheeling Tunnel and most of downtown Wheeling; and I-68 has a maximum speed limit of 40 mph (65 km/h) through Cumberland, Maryland , because of multiple hazards including sharp curves and narrow lanes through
5070-579: A suitable alternative route for long-haul travel. Since the 1990s, the Washington state government has improved or rebuilt several interchanges on I-82, particularly in the Yakima area. In 1998, SR 823 was extended southward from Selah to northern Yakima via a new road in the median of I-82, whose bridges over the Naches and Yakima rivers were also refurbished. The Valley Mall interchange in Union Gap
5239-700: Is 50 miles (80 km) away, to Umatilla, Oregon , 30 miles (48 km) away. Each city provides its own schooling services through their respective school districts— Kennewick 's, Pasco 's, and Richland 's. Public high schools in the Kennewick School District include Kennewick High School , Kamiakin High School , Southridge High School . Public high schools in the Pasco School District are Pasco High School , Chiawana High School , and New Horizons High School. In
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5408-714: Is a single library operated by the City of Richland and is not part of the much larger library system. Public libraries in the Tri-Cities include: Other libraries in the Tri-Cities include: Airports located the area include Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco ( IATA : PSC , ICAO : KPSC ) which has passenger and commercial flights and Richland Airport in Richland ( IATA : RLD , ICAO : KRLD ) which serves private aircraft. Ben Franklin Transit provides public bus service throughout
5577-543: Is also commonly believed the Interstate Highway System was built for the sole purpose of evacuating cities in the event of nuclear warfare . While military motivations were present, the primary motivations were civilian. The numbering scheme for the Interstate Highway System was developed in 1957 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The association's present numbering policy dates back to August 10, 1973. Within
5746-531: Is also listed as a Highway of Statewide Significance by the Washington state government. I-82 has one auxiliary route , I-182 , a spur route that serves the Tri-Cities region. It also has two child state highways in Washington : State Route 821 (SR 821) that runs from Selah to Ellensburg , and SR 823 that runs from Yakima to Selah. I-82 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and
5915-556: Is equivalent to about 10 percent of the electricity generated in Washington and 4 percent of all electricity used in the Pacific Northwest and has several safeguards to protect against seismic, natural, or terrorist threats. The Tri-Cities economy has historically been based on farming and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. From Pasco's incorporation in 1891 to present day, the Tri-Cities have had
6084-416: Is one of the largest cleanup projects in the United States, costing over $ 1.4 million per day to turn over 53 million US gallons (200 Ml ) of nuclear waste into glass through a process called vitrification. Vitrification is a proven technique in the disposal and long-term storage of nuclear waste or other hazardous wastes. Original estimates were $ 2.8 billion over five years to clean up
6253-459: Is sometimes visible near Tri-Cities at specific times of the year. Higher education institutions in the Tri-Cities area include: In 2005, the State of Washington approved the transition of the existing Washington State University branch campus in Richland from a two-year to a four-year campus. In the fall of 2007 the campus admitted its first undergraduate students. Offering a range of programs,
6422-525: Is sponsored by Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland's school districts, Battelle, Washington State University Tri-Cities, and Columbia Basin College. There are also several private and faith-based schools in the area, including Tri-Cities Prep Highschool (Pasco) , Kingspoint Christian School K–12 (Pasco), Tri-Cities Adventist School (Pasco), Liberty Christian School (Richland), Bethlehem Lutheran K–8 (Kennewick), and Calvary Christian School K–8 (Kennewick). In
6591-536: Is the amount of dust blown about by the frequent winds. Thanks to the aforementioned rivers, a large amount of cheap irrigation is available. Washington is the most northwest of the lower 48 states —consequently, the area is in the Pacific Standard Time Zone . The Tri-Cities makes up the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern quadrant of Washington. The large Cascade Mountain Range to
6760-523: Is the only nuclear power station in the Pacific Northwest. It uses a boiling water reactor with a type 5 layout and was relicensed 10 years to operate until 2043. After nine years of construction, the plant began operating after a long and costly construction process that resulted in the largest municipal bond default in U.S. history. Originally operated and owned by the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS),
6929-480: Is to have the highway route extend from Tamaulipas , Mexico to Ontario , Canada. The planned I-11 will then bridge the Interstate gap between Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada , and thus form part of the CANAMEX Corridor (along with I-19 , and portions of I-10 and I-15 ) between Sonora , Mexico and Alberta , Canada. Political opposition from residents canceled many freeway projects around
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7098-544: The California or Nevada border. The study was completed two years later and outlined three general routes that would replace existing north–south highways in eastern Oregon. The westernmost route would follow US 97 from Klamath Falls through Bend and Redmond to Biggs Junction , relying on I-84 to complete its connection with I-82. A variation of the route with a direct connection to I-82 near Hermiston would branch off at Madras and travel northeastward through
7267-653: The Cascade Mill development site. A proposal to add climbing lanes for trucks on the steep grades in the Manastash Ridge between Ellensburg and Yakima was made in the 2000s and remains unfunded as of 2017. I-82's current interchange with SR 224 in Kiona was rebuilt in 2016 and will be supplemented with a new interchange serving the Red Mountain AVA . Construction of the new interchange, which
7436-474: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas, and an I-35W and I-35E that run through Minneapolis and Saint Paul , Minnesota, still exist. Additionally, due to Congressional requirements, three sections of I-69 in southern Texas will be divided into I-69W , I-69E , and I-69C (for Central). AASHTO policy allows dual numbering to provide continuity between major control points. This is referred to as
7605-552: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. Under the act, the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the cost of construction of Interstate Highways. Each Interstate Highway was required to be a freeway with at least four lanes and no at-grade crossings. The publication in 1955 of the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways , informally known as the Yellow Book , mapped out what became
7774-555: The Grand Forks area have higher speed limits of 75 mph (120 km/h). As one of the components of the National Highway System , Interstate Highways improve the mobility of military troops to and from airports, seaports, rail terminals, and other military bases. Interstate Highways also connect to other roads that are a part of the Strategic Highway Network , a system of roads identified as critical to
7943-528: The Inland Empire Highway and US 410 , which were built in the early 20th century. The federal government created I-82 in late 1957 to serve military facilities in the region, replacing an earlier designation for what is now I-84. The first section of I-82 to be constructed was the easterly bypass of Yakima, which opened in 1963 and was gradually extended north to Ellensburg by 1971. The Yakima Valley section, connecting Union Gap to Prosser ,
8112-639: The Interstate 182 Bridge in 1984 made Pasco much more accessible, fueling the growth of that city. With the end of the Cold War, many in the area feared a shutdown of Hanford, followed by the Tri-Cities quickly becoming a ghost town . These fears were allayed after the United States Department of Energy switched the facility's purpose from the creation of nuclear weapons to the effective sealing and disposal of radioactive waste . During
8281-802: The Interstate Highway System , or the Eisenhower Interstate System , is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States . The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii , Alaska , and Puerto Rico . In the 20th century, the United States Congress began funding roadways through the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , and started an effort to construct
8450-402: The Lincoln Highway , the first road across America. He recalled that, "The old convoy had started me thinking about good two-lane highways... the wisdom of broader ribbons across our land." Eisenhower also gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first "national" implementation of modern Germany's Autobahn network, as a necessary component of a national defense system while he
8619-400: The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) within their respective states. Both agencies conduct annual surveys of traffic on segments of the freeway, the results of which are expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. The most heavily trafficked and the least trafficked sections of I-82 are located in Washington;
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#17327804812988788-414: The Puget Sound region to the Hanford Site and the Umatilla Chemical Depot . Its inclusion was initially opposed by Oregon, fearing the loss of truck traffic bound for the Intermountain West through Portland . Under the initial plan approved by the Washington state government in January 1958, the highway would travel through the Yakima Valley and cross the Columbia River at Boardman, Oregon , bypassing
8957-440: The Richland School District , public high schools include Richland High School , Hanford High School , and River's Edge High School. The area also contains two regional high schools, Tri-Tech and Delta High . Tri-Tech is a technical/vocational high school in the Kennewick School District that is attended by students from all over the Tri-Cities area. Delta High is a science and technology focused high school located in Pasco. It
9126-444: The US Department of Defense . The system has also been used to facilitate evacuations in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters. An option for maximizing traffic throughput on a highway is to reverse the flow of traffic on one side of a divider so that all lanes become outbound lanes. This procedure, known as contraflow lane reversal , has been employed several times for hurricane evacuations. After public outcry regarding
9295-411: The US Highways , which increase from east to west and north to south). This numbering system usually holds true even if the local direction of the route does not match the compass directions. Numbers divisible by five are intended to be major arteries among the primary routes, carrying traffic long distances. Primary north–south Interstates increase in number from I-5 between Canada and Mexico along
9464-437: The West Coast to I‑95 between Canada and Miami, Florida along the East Coast . Major west–east arterial Interstates increase in number from I-10 between Santa Monica, California , and Jacksonville, Florida , to I-90 between Seattle, Washington , and Boston, Massachusetts , with two exceptions. There are no I-50 and I-60, as routes with those numbers would likely pass through states that currently have US Highways with
9633-526: The Yakama Indian Reservation . The freeway follows the Central Washington Railroad and intersects several roads connecting to cities on the southern side of the river, including Wapato and Toppenish , the latter of which is connected via an interchange with SR 22 near Buena . This section of the highway also passes through the Yakima Valley agricultural region, which includes Rattlesnake Hills AVA and Yakima Valley AVA —major areas for wine and hops production, along with other crops. I-82 travels along
9802-404: The census-designated places (CDP) of West Pasco and Finley , as well as the CDP of Burbank , despite the latter being located in Walla Walla County . The official 2016 estimate of the Tri-Cities MSA population is 283,869, a more than 12% increase from 2010. 2016 U.S. MSA estimates show the Tri-Cities population as over 300,000. The combined population of the three principal cities themselves
9971-420: The 1880s, the Northern Pacific Railway constructed a railroad along the Yakima River between Ellensburg and Pasco as part of its transcontinental route to Tacoma via Stampede Pass . The section through Yakima River Canyon between Ellensburg and North Yakima (now Yakima) bypassed an early toll road constructed by settler Jacob Durr that traveled farther west via Wenas Valley and Shushuskin Canyon. In 1909,
10140-466: The 1940s, the Hanford site employed a majority of residents. The United States government built a top-secret facility to produce and separate plutonium for nuclear weapons , and decided on an area just north of then-tiny Richland. The government built temporary quarters for the more than 45,000 workers and built permanent homes and infrastructure for other personnel in Richland. The city had an overnight population explosion, yet virtually no one knew what
10309-481: The 1950s and completed in November 1963. The bypass freeway was later extended 2 miles (3.2 km) southward to Union Gap in August 1965 and northward to Selah in August 1967. The 26-mile (42 km) section between Ellensburg and Yakima was funded earlier than scheduled, money being diverted from stalled freeway projects in the Seattle area, and construction began in October 1968. The $ 35 million freeway project (equivalent to $ 202 million in 2023 dollars) required
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#173278048129810478-429: The 1990s, several major corporations entered the Tri-Cities, which helped to begin diversifying the economy apart from the Hanford sector. In 1995, a sixth public high school, Southridge High , was founded in south Kennewick. The 2000s saw continued rapid growth as the Hanford site hired hundreds of workers to help with the cleanup effort. Additionally, the Tri-Cities saw a large influx of retirees from various areas of
10647-434: The Canadian border near Kettle Falls . The Durr toll road was bypassed by a new highway through the Yakima River Canyon that opened on September 12, 1924, and was fully paved in 1932. The Inland Empire Highway was also incorporated into the Yellowstone Trail , a national auto trail , and the federal numbered highway system created in 1926. Under the federal system, the Ellensburg–Yakima section formed part of US 97 ,
10816-417: The Columbia River westward to Vancouver , and crosses the BNSF Fallbridge Subdivision , which carries Amtrak 's Empire Builder passenger trains. I-82 and US 395 cross the Columbia River west of McNary Dam on Umatilla Bridge , which consists of a unique, multiple cantilever , steel truss bridge carrying the eastbound lanes, a newer concrete segmental bridge that carries the westbound lanes, and
10985-494: The Columbia Valley, this industry accounts for $ 1 billion annually in Benton County alone. The Tri-Cities' climate allows the region to have a broad and sustainable agricultural economy. Local industries provide employment for thousands of people in the Tri-Cities area. Some of the top 20 employers in agriculture include ConAgra, Tyson Foods, and Broetje Orchards. Agriculture makes up 9.5% of employment in Tri-Cities and local businesses combined employ thousands of people. In 2012,
11154-402: The Congress Hotel in Chicago. In the plan, Mehren proposed a 50,000-mile (80,000 km) system, consisting of five east–west routes and 10 north–south routes. The system would include two percent of all roads and would pass through every state at a cost of $ 25,000 per mile ($ 16,000/km), providing commercial as well as military transport benefits. In 1919, the US Army sent an expedition across
11323-477: The Hanford facilities experienced reduced funding, thousands of people would suddenly become jobless. During this time, other employers slowly made their way into the area, but they too would often be forced to cut jobs in the bad times. Since the 1970s, Kennewick has had the greatest population of the three cities. The Columbia Center Mall opened in 1969 on land newly incorporated into Kennewick, drawing growth to western Kennewick and south Richland. Completion of
11492-417: The Horse Heaven Hills to an intersection with SR 397 , a highway that provides an alternate truck route for Kennewick and Finley . The freeway continues southwestward along Bofer and Fourmile canyons, descending from the hills and passing irrigated farmland while approaching the Columbia River . Northeast of Plymouth , it intersects the eastern terminus of SR 14 , a cross-state highway that follows
11661-420: The Horse Heaven routing after a two-day public hearing in October 1963. The Tri-Cities and Wallula routes were rejected, in part because of the limited supply of miles allotted by Congress to the Interstate program. Senator Magnuson and Oregon congressman Al Ullman intervened during the federal approval of the routing and called for a re-study. Magnuson later proposed a bill to add 19,000 miles (31,000 km) to
11830-407: The Interstate Highway System. Assisting in the planning was Charles Erwin Wilson , who was still head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953. Some sections of highways that became part of the Interstate Highway System actually began construction earlier. Three states have claimed the title of first Interstate Highway. Missouri claims that
11999-424: The Interstate Highway program. The Interstates of Alaska and Puerto Rico are numbered sequentially in order of funding without regard to the rules on odd and even numbers. They also carry the prefixes A and PR , respectively. However, these highways are signed according to their local designations, not their Interstate Highway numbers. Furthermore, these routes were neither planned according to nor constructed to
12168-596: The Interstate system, including an allotment for the Tri-Cities, but it failed to advance beyond Congressional committees for several years before quietly excluding I-82. In 1968, the federal government authorized $ 25 million in funding (equivalent to $ 167 million in 2023 dollars) for the 28-mile (45 km) addition. The new study was funded jointly by the two states and contracted to an independent firm that completed it in September 1966. The study recommended that I-82 be routed through Pasco and follow Lake Wallula to
12337-539: The Northwest. During this time, and the corresponding nationwide housing boom, all three cities flourished and grew significantly. Pasco became the fastest growing city in Washington (in terms of both percent increase and number of new residents). In 2005, the Census Bureau reported that Pasco's population had surpassed Richland's for the first time since pre-Hanford days. Fueled by the boom, Chiawana High School
12506-479: The Oregon commission approved it that December. The Washington state government also created a new state highway, SR 143, that connected the Umatilla Bridge to Plymouth. The FHWA approved the routing decision but as late as 1978, attempts were made to propose new alignments for the freeway in Oregon. The first section of I-82 to open was the eastern bypass of Yakima, which was planned as an upgrade to PSH 3 in
12675-461: The Tri-Cities among the Top 10 best places to raise a family, and CNN/Money ranked the Tri-Cities one of the top 10 best bets for gains in housing value, due to its relatively stable economic conditions since the early 2000s. Pasco was the first of the Tri-Cities to be incorporated, in 1891. Kennewick was incorporated in 1904, and Richland followed in 1910. West Richland —a suburb of Richland, as well as
12844-475: The Tri-Cities are include Kadlec Regional Medical Center (Richland, Kennewick), Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Lourdes Medical Center (Downtown Pasco, Richland, West Pasco), and Trios Health (Downtown Kennewick and West Kennewick). Mid-Columbia Libraries, an intercounty library system serving Benton, Franklin, and Adams Counties, is based in Kennewick, Washington, and operates five public branch libraries in
13013-465: The Tri-Cities as well as TransPlus Night and Sunday limited capacity curb-to-curb service for $ 3 each way. Local cab service exists, and Uber entered the Kennewick market in December 2016, with expansion into Richland and Pasco the following year. Amtrak provides connection to the daily Empire Builder serving Portland and Chicago . Due to the dry climate, hot summers, and mild winters,
13182-582: The Tri-Cities metropolitan area, one in downtown Kennewick and one on Clover Island . In 2010, Ice Harbor received a bronze award for their Sternwheeler Stout, Runaway Red Ale, Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and a Silver Award for their Tangerine "ExBEERience" Hefeweizen at the Washington Beer Awards competition. Another micro-brewery, the Atomic Ale Brew Pub & Eatery, is located in Richland and serves as Tri-Cities oldest brewpub and
13351-459: The Tri-Cities offers a variety of outdoor activities. The area is home to 10 golf courses which can be played nearly year-round. These include Canyon Lakes, Columbia Park, and Zintel Creek Golf Clubs in Kennewick; Sun Willows Golf Club and Pasco Golfland in Pasco; and Columbia Point, Horn Rapids, West Richland, Meadow Springs, and Buckskin Golf clubs in Richland. The Tri-Cities metropolitan area has
13520-519: The Tri-Cities region entirely. It was numbered "Interstate 82" in 1958, re-using an older designation for what would become Interstate 80N (now I-84). In 1959, the Washington State Highway Commission requested that the interstate would follow US 410 across Naches Pass to Tacoma and Aberdeen , but the proposal was quietly abandoned. The routing of the freeway's northwestern half was subject to disputes, namely
13689-471: The Tri-Cities to the southwest, staying south of Badger Mountain . I-82 continues southeastward along the edge of the Horse Heaven Hills to an interchange with US 395 south of Kennewick , where it forms another concurrency. The Kennewick–Plymouth section of the freeway is also signed as part of the Lewis and Clark Trail , a Washington state scenic byway . I-82 and US 395 travel southward and ascend
13858-542: The Tri-Cities towards Pendleton, Oregon and continuing southward. A branch highway between PSH 3 and the Columbia River near Plymouth —across from Umatilla, Oregon —was added to the state highway system in 1943 as an extension of PSH 8 —the North Bank Highway; it was renumbered to SR 12 in 1964 and later SR 14 in 1967. The Plymouth extension connected to the Umatilla Bridge ,
14027-475: The Tri-Cities, and seven branch libraries in the surrounding area. Customers of Mid-Columbia Libraries have access to nearly 400,000 books, movies, magazines, and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks; the library system spends over $ 1 million annually on new materials and has the highest expenditure per capita for materials of any public library in Southeastern Washington. Richland Public Library
14196-546: The Tri-Cities. In 1973, Oregon and Washington adopted a federal compromise to build I-82 through Umatilla and around the outskirts of the Tri-Cities with a spur route (I-182) to serve the area directly. The Tri-Cities section opened in 1986 while in Oregon, the final section of I-82 was completed in 1988. In the early 2000s, Oregon highway officials examined plans to extend I-82 farther south through eastern Oregon and towards California , but they were not considered for further study. I-82 travels 143.6 miles (231 km) through
14365-918: The US to determine the difficulties that military vehicles would have on a cross-country trip. Leaving from the Ellipse near the White House on July 7, the Motor Transport Corps convoy needed 62 days to drive 3,200 miles (5,100 km) on the Lincoln Highway to the Presidio of San Francisco along the Golden Gate . The convoy suffered many setbacks and problems on the route, such as poor-quality bridges, broken crankshafts, and engines clogged with desert sand. Dwight Eisenhower , then
14534-715: The United States, including: In addition to cancellations, removals of freeways are planned: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained. One almost absolute standard is the controlled access nature of the roads. With few exceptions , traffic lights (and cross traffic in general) are limited to toll booths and ramp meters (metered flow control for lane merging during rush hour ). Being freeways , Interstate Highways usually have
14703-548: The Wallula alignment in October 1971, but protests from environmentalists over potential harm to local wildlife areas, including the McNary National Wildlife Refuge , forced the plan to be reconsidered in early 1973. The Oregon commission remained opposed to all options that bypassed the Umatilla Bridge, mirroring public opinion from hearings in Pendleton, while the Washington commission considered
14872-478: The Wallula route in December 1967, with support from the regional director of the Bureau of Public Roads, but their Oregon counterpart remained opposed. Oregon governor Tom McCall met with Senator Magnuson to propose a compromise route that would serve the Tri-Cities and the Port of Umatilla , which would later form the basis of a new study begun in mid-1968. In May 1969, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),
15041-457: The Washington highway commissioner ordered a new routing study for the I-82 corridor after hearing requests from legislators in the Tri-Cities area. The study produced four general corridors, including alternatives that shifted I-82 closer to the Tri-Cities, traversed the area, and continued southeastward along Lake Wallula . The states remained committed to the Umatilla crossing and formally approved
15210-700: The Washington state government appropriated funds to survey routes through the Yakima Valley as part of a potential extension of the state road system. In 1913, at the suggestion of good roads advocates, the Washington State Legislature established the Inland Empire Highway as one of the trunk routes of its state highway system and appropriated $ 301,000 (equivalent to $ 6.83 million in 2023 dollars) to construct it to modern standards. The highway incorporated several existing and planned county roads from Ellensburg to Pasco; it then continued eastward to Walla Walla and northward to Spokane and
15379-602: The Yakima River east of the city center. The freeway continues northeastward on the southern side of the Yakima River, running along the bottom of the Horse Heaven Hills . Near Chandler Butte, the highway turns southeastward and intersects SR 224 and SR 225 on the southern side of Benton City . I-82 continues eastward to an interchange with I-182 , its sole auxiliary route, at Goose Gap near West Richland ; from here, I-182 travels concurrently with US 12 into Richland and Pasco , while I-82 bypasses
15548-481: The act was signed, and paving started September 26, 1956. The state marked its portion of I-70 as the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways, and is nicknamed "Grandfather of the Interstate System". On October 1, 1940, 162 miles (261 km) of
15717-469: The busiest section is in downtown Yakima near SR 24 , which carried a daily average of 52,000 vehicles in 2016, and the least-trafficked section is the terminus at I-90 near Ellensburg, which carried 9,100 vehicles. In 2016, ODOT's measurements of average daily traffic ranged from a minimum of 13,700 vehicles at Powerline Road near Hermiston to a maximum of 21,700 vehicles at the Umatilla Bridge . I-82 begins southeast of Ellensburg, Washington , at
15886-603: The bypassing of the Yakima River Canyon that was favored by truckers due to its gentler grades . In 1965, state highway commissioners chose the eastern route through the Yakima Firing Center , primarily because of its cost and room to support four lanes. A land transfer for 2,612 acres (1,057 ha) from the U.S. Army was approved by Congress in November 1967 to allow for freeway construction near
16055-495: The campus focuses on biotechnology , computer science , and engineering , due to the nearby Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Hanford Site. The university also offers a range of majors, including English , history , and other liberal arts and sciences. Columbia Basin College also offers higher education courses for residents of the Tri-Cities, as well as the Columbia Basin from Mattawa, Washington , which
16224-684: The cancellation of the Somerset Freeway . This situation was remedied when the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project started in 2010 and partially opened on September 22, 2018, which was already enough to fill the gap. However, I-70 remains discontinuous in Pennsylvania , because of the lack of a direct interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at
16393-406: The choice of routing destroyed many well-established neighborhoods, often intentionally as part of a program of " urban renewal ". In the two decades following the 1956 Highway Act, the construction of the freeways displaced one million people, and as a result of the many freeway revolts during this era, several planned Interstates were abandoned or re-routed to avoid urban cores. Construction of
16562-664: The city. In some locations, low speed limits are the result of lawsuits and resident demands; after holding up the completion of I-35E in St. Paul, Minnesota , for nearly 30 years in the courts, residents along the stretch of the freeway from the southern city limit to downtown successfully lobbied for a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit in addition to a prohibition on any vehicle weighing more than 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) gross vehicle weight . I-93 in Franconia Notch State Park in northern New Hampshire has
16731-400: The coalition changed its name to Energy Northwest in 1998 because of the negative association with the original name (commonly pronounced "Whoops" in place of WPPSS). WPPSS defaulted on $ 2.25 billion in bonds resulting in payments that exceeded $ 12,000 per customer, an amount which was finally paid out in 1992 (10 years later). Its 1,190 gross megawatts can power the city of Seattle, and
16900-401: The collection of tolls, some Interstate routes are toll roads , either because they were grandfathered into the system or because subsequent legislation has allowed for tolling of Interstates in some cases. As of 2022 , about one quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country used the Interstate Highway System, which has a total length of 48,890 miles (78,680 km). In 2022 and 2023,
17069-406: The confluence of the Yakima , Snake , and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington . The cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities seem like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. The three cities function as the center of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area , which consists of Benton and Franklin counties . The Tri-Cities urban area includes the city of West Richland ,
17238-507: The construction and improvement of highways. The nation's revenue needs associated with World War I prevented any significant implementation of this policy, which expired in 1921. In December 1918, E. J. Mehren, a civil engineer and the editor of Engineering News-Record , presented his "A Suggested National Highway Policy and Plan" during a gathering of the State Highway Officials and Highway Industries Association at
17407-407: The contiguous United States, primary Interstates—also called main line Interstates or two-digit Interstates—are assigned numbers less than 100. While numerous exceptions do exist, there is a general scheme for numbering Interstates. Primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, while shorter routes (such as spurs, loops, and short connecting roads) are assigned three-digit numbers where
17576-442: The cultivation of wine grapes. The range of varietals grown throughout the region include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. The Tri-Cities region has a rich winery culture that attract tourists and visitors to the area. Some of the local microbreweries include: Ice Harbor Brewery Company, Atomic Ale Brewpub and Eatery, and White Bluff Brewing. This brewery was founded in 1996 and has two locations in
17745-623: The discontinuity, but they have been blocked by local opposition, fearing a loss of business. The Interstate Highway System has been expanded numerous times. The expansions have both created new designations and extended existing designations. For example, I-49 , added to the system in the 1980s as a freeway in Louisiana , was designated as an expansion corridor, and FHWA approved the expanded route north from Lafayette, Louisiana , to Kansas City, Missouri . The freeway exists today as separate completed segments, with segments under construction or in
17914-448: The dissemination of public information. As a result, the 2005 evacuation of New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina ran much more smoothly. According to urban legend , early regulations required that one out of every five miles of the Interstate Highway System must be built straight and flat, so as to be usable by aircraft during times of war. There is no evidence of this rule being included in any Interstate legislation. It
18083-496: The eastern end of the concurrency near Breezewood . Traveling in either direction, I-70 traffic must exit the freeway and use a short stretch of US 30 (which includes a number of roadside services) to rejoin I-70. The interchange was not originally built because of a legacy federal funding rule, since relaxed, which restricted the use of federal funds to improve roads financed with tolls. Solutions have been proposed to eliminate
18252-450: The economy. Not just as a public works measure, but for future growth. Clay's committee proposed a 10-year, $ 100 billion program ($ 1.13 trillion in 2023), which would build 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of divided highways linking all American cities with a population of greater than 50,000. Eisenhower initially preferred a system consisting of toll roads , but Clay convinced Eisenhower that toll roads were not feasible outside of
18421-614: The edge of the Umatilla Chemical Depot and terminates at an interchange with I-84 , which is concurrent with US 30 , southwest of Hermiston; I-84 and US 30 continue westward along the Columbia River toward Portland and eastward to Pendleton and Boise, Idaho . Several sections of I-82 follow railroads and wagon roads that were built in the late 19th century to connect towns in Washington Territory , generally following early Indian trails. In
18590-715: The end of October, and consists primarily of fresh produce. A farmers market, located at the corner of Benton Street and Kennewick Avenue, takes place on Thursday evenings and runs annually from the end of May through October. The Tri-Cities is also home to automobile manufacturer SSC North America , the manufacturer of the SSC Aero . Other corporations with facilities in the Tri-Cities area include Amazon , Areva , Battelle Memorial Institute , Bruker , Lamb Weston , Fluor Corp. , Kaiser Aluminum , Lampson Cranes , Lockheed Martin , Reser's Fine Foods , Tyson Foods , URS Corp. , US Cellular , UniWest, and AECOM . Hospitals in
18759-545: The excavation of approximately 20 million cubic yards (15 million m) of dirt and facilitated the discovery of a new geologic fault that would be monitored for seismic movement. WSDOT contractors built the longest concrete arch spans in North America on the Fred G. Redmon Bridge , which crosses Selah Creek near the city of the same name. The Ellensburg–Yakima freeway was opened on November 12, 1971, and US 97
18928-499: The existing Yakima Freeway at Union Gap and the Zillah freeway was completed on November 24, 1981, and cost $ 47 million to construct (equivalent to $ 121 million in 2023 dollars). The freeway's construction created an embankment between the Yakima River and surrounding areas, which helped to worsen major floods; it also required the digging of several gravel pits nearby, which were later converted into seven trout-stocked ponds that feed
19097-439: The existing, largely non-freeway, United States Numbered Highways system. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Thomas MacDonald , chief at the Bureau of Public Roads, a hand-drawn map of the United States marked with eight superhighway corridors for study. In 1939, Bureau of Public Roads Division of Information chief Herbert S. Fairbank wrote
19266-426: The federal government, Interstate Highways are owned by the state in which they were built. With few exceptions , all Interstates must meet specific standards , such as having controlled access, physical barriers or median strips between lanes of oncoming traffic, breakdown lanes , avoiding at-grade intersections , no traffic lights , and complying with federal traffic sign specifications. Interstate Highways use
19435-697: The firing center. A section of the Yakima River Freeway was also planned to pass through part of the Yakama Indian Reservation but the Yakama Nation refused to allow the condemnation of 10 acres (4.0 ha) belonging to its members and filed suit against the state government in 1969. The U.S. District Court and U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals both ruled in favor of the Yakamas, forcing I-82 to be rerouted across
19604-515: The first three contracts under the new program were signed in Missouri on August 2, 1956. The first contract signed was for upgrading a section of US Route 66 to what is now designated Interstate 44 . On August 13, 1956, work began on US 40 (now I-70) in St. Charles County. Kansas claims that it was the first to start paving after the act was signed. Preliminary construction had taken place before
19773-614: The first time sought to target these funds to the construction of a national road grid of interconnected "primary highways", setting up cooperation among the various state highway planning boards. The Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense. In 1922, General John J. Pershing , former head of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during
19942-570: The founding of the Hanford Site in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project , Richland became the largest city of the three overnight. Richland's Columbia High School adopted "Bombers" as its mascot (complete with mushroom cloud logo). In 1970, Kamiakin High School (in the neighboring city of Kennewick) was founded in response to the continued influx of people. The economy continued to grow, but not without some turbulence. Every time
20111-426: The fourth largest city in the metropolitan area—was founded by dissatisfied residents of Richland, who wished to be home owners rather than renters of government-owned houses, after the arrival of Hanford . Despite attempts by Richland to annex the community, they remained separate and eventually became incorporated in 1955. Pasco was the largest city in the Tri-Cities, mostly due to its railroad station . It also had
20280-476: The freeway farther away from the river, including a potential route along the Rattlesnake Ridge , was rejected by the state shorelines hearings board in 1978 due to its extra distance and potential effects on a rare butterfly bog. The routing of I-82's southern half was altered several times during the planning process, which lasted until the early 1970s. Due to complications with the construction of
20449-582: The freeway passes several farms and industrial buildings before reaching an interchange with the southern end of SR 821. I-82 continues on the eastern bank of the Yakima River to the east of Selah and intersects SR 823 in Selah Gap , a narrow canyon between two arms of the Yakima Ridge . The freeway, which runs parallel to a section of SR 823 in its median , crosses the Yakima and Naches rivers at their confluence and enters Yakima . On
20618-556: The highest speed limits in a given area. Speed limits are determined by individual states. From 1975 to 1986, the maximum speed limit on any highway in the United States was 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), in accordance with federal law. Typically, lower limits are established in Northeastern and coastal states, while higher speed limits are established in inland states west of the Mississippi River . For example,
20787-553: The highly populated coastal regions. In February 1955, Eisenhower forwarded Clay's proposal to Congress. The bill quickly won approval in the Senate, but House Democrats objected to the use of public bonds as the means to finance construction. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to instead finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In June 1956, Eisenhower signed
20956-617: The highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle . The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes, a reference to turnpikes . Milestones in the construction of the Interstate Highway System include: The initial cost estimate for the system was $ 25 billion over 12 years; it ended up costing $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 425 billion in 2006 or $ 618 billion in 2023 ) and took 35 years. The system
21125-402: The inefficiency of evacuating from southern Louisiana prior to Hurricane Georges ' landfall in September 1998, government officials looked towards contraflow to improve evacuation times. In Savannah, Georgia , and Charleston, South Carolina , in 1999, lanes of I-16 and I-26 were used in a contraflow configuration in anticipation of Hurricane Floyd with mixed results. In 2004, contraflow
21294-431: The last two digits match the parent route (thus, I-294 is a loop that connects at both ends to I-94 , while I-787 is a short spur route attached to I-87 ). In the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east–west highways are assigned even numbers and north–south highways are assigned odd numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even-numbered routes increase from south to north (to avoid confusion with
21463-478: The link between Seattle and Salt Lake City, Utah . I-82 travels concurrently with U.S. Route 97 (US 97) between Ellensburg and Union Gap ; US 12 from Yakima to the Tri-Cities; and US 395 from Kennewick to Umatilla, Oregon . I-82 primarily serves the Yakima Valley agricultural region, following the Yakima and Columbia rivers southeastward to the Tri-Cities. The highway enters
21632-636: The local shrub steppe ecosystem. It is the largest tract of shrub-steppe ecosystem remaining in the U.S. state of Washington. Limited city lights and an absence of photopollution in the Tri-Cities area allow for naked-eye and telescopic astronomy. The Tri-City Astronomy Club partners holds star gazing events at the Hanford Observatory. Hiking locations, such as Badger Mountain , Candy Mountain and Jump Off Joe Butte, provide views of sunrises and sunsets, studies of celestial bodies and stellar astronomy. The aurora borealis (or northern lights)
21801-454: The mainline. Some auxiliary highways do not follow these guidelines, however. The Interstate Highway System also extends to Alaska , Hawaii , and Puerto Rico , even though they have no direct land connections to any other states or territories. However, their residents still pay federal fuel and tire taxes. The Interstates in Hawaii, all located on the most populous island of Oahu , carry
21970-753: The maximum speed limit is 75 mph (120 km/h) in northern Maine, varies between 50 and 70 mph (80 and 115 km/h) from southern Maine to New Jersey, and is 50 mph (80 km/h) in New York City and the District of Columbia. Currently, rural speed limits elsewhere generally range from 65 to 80 miles per hour (105 to 130 km/h). Several portions of various highways such as I-10 and I-20 in rural western Texas, I-80 in Nevada between Fernley and Winnemucca (except around Lovelock) and portions of I-15 , I-70 , I-80 , and I-84 in Utah have
22139-424: The most land for easy irrigation and farming and was still the largest up until the founding of Hanford near Richland. Farming was the basis of virtually every sector of the economy in the early years. Indeed, the area remained mostly rural well into the 1940s. It did not have a daily newspaper or radio station until the mid-1940s. Even today, agriculture is a big part of the Tri-Cities, Pasco in particular. After
22308-511: The northbound Umatilla Bridge, located 100 feet (30 m) upriver from the original bridge, began in 1985. The new bridge cost $ 16.5 million (equivalent to $ 38 million in 2023 dollars) and was completed in October 1987 after two years of construction. The final section of I-82, extending 9.9 miles (15.9 km) between Umatilla and Hermiston, began construction in February 1984 and was dedicated and opened to traffic on September 20, 1988. It
22477-636: The northernmost east–west routes. A 1970s proposal to renumber I-82 to remain in compliance with the numbering scheme was rejected by the Washington State Department of Highways due to the cost of sign replacement and potential for public confusion. In 1999, the Oregon Legislative Assembly passed a bill directing the Oregon Department of Transportation to study a proposal for an extension of I-82 to
22646-404: The number of fatalities on the Interstate Highway System amounted to more than 5,000 people annually, with nearly 5,600 fatalities in 2022. The United States government's efforts to construct a national network of highways began on an ad hoc basis with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , which provided $ 75 million over a five-year period for matching funds to the states for
22815-504: The official Interstate Highway standards . On one- or two-digit Interstates, the mile marker numbering almost always begins at the southern or western state line. If an Interstate originates within a state, the numbering begins from the location where the road begins in the south or west. As with all guidelines for Interstate routes, however, numerous exceptions exist. Tri-Cities, Washington The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities ( Kennewick , Pasco , and Richland ) at
22984-561: The original Interstate Highway System was proclaimed complete in 1992, despite deviations from the original 1956 plan and several stretches that did not fully conform with federal standards . The construction of the Interstate Highway System cost approximately $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 618 billion in 2023). The system has continued to expand and grow as additional federal funding has provided for new routes to be added, and many future Interstate Highways are currently either being planned or under construction. Though heavily funded by
23153-605: The planning phase between them. In 1966, the FHWA designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the larger Pan-American Highway System, and at least two proposed Interstate expansions were initiated to help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Long-term plans for I-69 , which currently exists in several separate completed segments (the largest of which are in Indiana and Texas ),
23322-411: The prefix H . There are three one-digit routes in the state ( H-1 , H-2 , and H-3 ) and one auxiliary route ( H-201 ). These Interstates connect several military and naval bases together, as well as the important communities spread across Oahu, and especially within the urban core of Honolulu . Both Alaska and Puerto Rico also have public highways that receive 90 percent of their funding from
23491-550: The purpose of Hanford was until the destruction of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, by an atomic weapon containing Hanford-produced plutonium. After World War II Hanford continued work on creating material for nuclear weapons during the Cold War . After the fall of the USSR in 1991, Hanford, the site of severe nuclear contamination, changed its mission from plutonium production to environmental cleanup and restoration. The Hanford site
23660-785: The restaurant after celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary. Also notable is the BBQ restaurant Porter's which began as a food truck in Richland and has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives hosted by Guy Fieri . In contrast to Seattle, the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, the Columbia Valley enjoys long, warm, summer days, and crisp cool nights. The dry weather combined with rich volcanic soils and controlled irrigation produce near-perfect conditions for
23829-470: The ridge. Just north of Selah , I-82 crosses the Fred G. Redmon Bridge , a 325-foot-high (99 m), twinned arch bridge that spans Selah Creek. At the time of its opening in 1971, the Redmon Bridge was the longest concrete-arch bridge in North America at 1,337 feet (408 m), losing its record in 1993 to new bridges in St. Paul, Minnesota , and Franklin, Tennessee . Southwest of the bridge,
23998-454: The river on non-reservation land. I-82's chosen route between Union Gap and Granger would pass through 15 miles (24 km) of the Yakima River's flood plain, attracting criticism from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for its potential effects on the area. The Yakima County government also disliked the routing, arguing that it would destroy hundreds of acres of prime agricultural land. A later attempt by environmentalists to move
24167-537: The route, without regard to the route number. For instance, I-190 in Massachusetts is labeled north–south, while I-195 in New Jersey is labeled east–west. Some looped Interstate routes use inner–outer directions instead of compass directions, when the use of compass directions would create ambiguity. Due to the large number of these routes, auxiliary route numbers may be repeated in different states along
24336-419: The same numbers, which is generally disallowed under highway administration guidelines. Several two-digit numbers are shared between unconnected road segments at opposite ends of the country for various reasons. Some such highways are incomplete Interstates (such as I-69 and I-74 ) and some just happen to share route designations (such as I-76 , I-84 , I‑86 , I-87 , and I-88 ). Some of these were due to
24505-503: The same roadway are signed as traveling in opposite directions; one such wrong-way concurrency is found between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell , Virginia, where I‑81 north and I‑77 south are equivalent (with that section of road traveling almost due east), as are I‑81 south and I‑77 north. Auxiliary Interstate Highways are circumferential, radial, or spur highways that principally serve urban areas . These types of Interstate Highways are given three-digit route numbers, which consist of
24674-666: The southern edge of Zillah and passes the historic Teapot Dome Service Station , a gas station and piece of political and novelty architecture that became a roadside attraction. Past Zillah, the freeway intersects SR 223 in Granger and SR 241 southeast of Sunnyside , bypassing both towns. I-82 continues southeastward through Grandview and toward Prosser at the edge of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area in Benton County . I-82 and US 12 pass several wineries and tasting rooms in northern Prosser before crossing
24843-452: The southern side of the confluence, I-82 and US 97 intersect US 12 , a major cross-state highway that uses White Pass to travel over the Cascade Mountains, and begins a concurrency with it. The three highways travel southward along the Yakima River, veering east of downtown Yakima and its inner neighborhoods. The freeway passes through several urban interchanges, including the western terminus of SR 24 at Nob Hill Boulevard and
25012-535: The southwest. Construction on I-82 and I-182 began in 1980, using $ 340 million (equivalent to $ 2.88 billion in 2023 dollars) in newly earmarked funds from the U.S. Congress. A short, 2-mile (3.2 km) section bypassing Plymouth and preparing for the new Umatilla Bridge was opened to traffic on August 31, 1981, and cost $ 5 million to construct (equivalent to $ 14.2 million in 2023 dollars). The remaining sections on SR 14 between Plymouth and Kennewick were constructed and paved between 1983 and 1985. US 395
25181-674: The state of Washington was rated No. 1 in the nation when it comes to growing apples, hops, spearmint oil, sweet cherries, pears, concord grapes and processing carrots. The Mid-Columbia region including the Tri-Cities grows most of these crops. The region's climate and irrigation from nearby rivers, like the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers, allow farmers to produce corn, hay, wheat and potatoes. In Washington there are 39,500 farms; 1,630 of these farms are located in Benton County and 891 are located in Franklin County. The Tri-Cities has
25350-452: The successor to the Bureau of Public Roads, announced a new compromise proposal, routing I-82 through Umatilla and adding a spur route I-182 to serve the Tri-Cities. The Washington State Highway Commission approved the compromise in July 1969, but the Oregon delegation expressed its support of the Wallula routing after it was modified to terminate farther west near Stanfield . The FHWA approved
25519-461: The valley from the north by crossing the Manastash Ridge , which separates Yakima from the Kittitas Valley . I-82 bypasses the Tri-Cities by traveling southwest around Richland and Kennewick and then turns south to cross the Columbia River on the Umatilla Bridge . Its only auxiliary route , I-182 , connects the highway to Richland and Pasco in the Tri-Cities. The I-82 corridor was originally used by several state and national highways, including
25688-495: The war, complied by submitting a detailed network of 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of interconnected primary highways—the so-called Pershing Map . A boom in road construction followed throughout the decade of the 1920s, with such projects as the New York parkway system constructed as part of a new national highway system. As automobile traffic increased, planners saw a need for such an interconnected national system to supplement
25857-545: The waste, though estimates quickly grew in the early 1990s to $ 50 billion with a completion date of 30 years. As of 2021, the additional cost to complete cleanup is now projected to be between $ 300 and $ 640 billion with an estimated completion date of 2078. Over 18 percent of all jobs in the Benton Franklin County area are nuclear-related, research-related, or engineering. The Columbia Generating Station operates ten miles outside of Richland and
26026-513: The west contributes to the semi-arid climate, which is far drier than the famously wet western side of the state. See rain shadow for more information on this phenomenon. The region's climate results in a shrub-steppe ecosystem which has 18 endemic plant species. Just west of Richland, the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve was established to study the unique plants and animals found in
26195-428: The winter (record low −29 °F (−34 °C) in December 1919) to as high as 110 °F (43 °C) in the summer, and Richland reached 118 °F (48 °C) during the 2021 Western North America heat wave . The region receives a yearly average of seven inches of snow but has received as much as 50 inches. Due to the semi-arid climate and subsequent large amounts of sand, a perpetual annoyance to residents
26364-557: Was 220,959 at the 2020 census . As of April 1, 2021, the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division estimates the cities as having a combined population of 224,640. The Tri-Cities Airport is located in Pasco and provides the region with commercial and private air service. Pasco is the seat of Franklin County, while the other two cities are located in Benton County. In 2010, Kiplinger rated
26533-421: Was accelerated for sections bypassing the worst stretches of US 410, including winding highways or high-traffic roads. The 4-mile (6.4 km) Zillah–Granger freeway opened in January 1979, and the Prosser bypass opened in late August the same year. I-82 was then extended 7 miles (11 km) westward from Prosser to Grandview in January 1981 at a cost of $ 19 million. A 15-mile (24 km) connection between
26702-472: Was also the final segment of the Interstate Highway system in Oregon, which spanned 731 miles (1,176 km). The southbound Umatilla Bridge underwent a major $ 5.2 million (equivalent to $ 11.6 million in 2023 dollars) rehabilitation project and re-opened in July 1990. The total cost to construct I-82 was estimated in 1988 to be $ 317 million (equivalent to $ 705 million in 2023 dollars), of which $ 288 million (equivalent to $ 640 million in 2023 dollars)
26871-400: Was constructed between 1977 and 1982. The routing of the highway between Prosser and I-84 was very controversial among Tri-Cities residents, who lobbied for a longer I-82 alignment to serve them. Oregon legislators and highway officials remained opposed to a routing that bypassed Umatilla, leading to several attempts at finding a compromise along the Wallula Gap or in other areas southeast of
27040-442: Was employed ahead of Hurricane Charley in the Tampa, Florida area and on the Gulf Coast before the landfall of Hurricane Ivan ; however, evacuation times there were no better than previous evacuation operations. Engineers began to apply lessons learned from the analysis of prior contraflow operations, including limiting exits, removing troopers (to keep traffic flowing instead of having drivers stop for directions), and improving
27209-765: Was founded, and by 2019 had become the largest high school in the entire state. Despite the economic recession of the late 2000s, the Tri-Cities area continued to maintain steady growth and a stable economic climate due in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which directed funding and jobs to the Hanford site and its various cleanup efforts. The Tri-Cities are in a semi-arid climate , receiving an average of 5 to 7 inches (130 to 180 mm) of precipitation every year. Winds periodically exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) when Chinook wind conditions exist. While there are an average 225 clear days every year, these are mainly between April 1 and November 1. Temperatures range from as low as −10 °F (−23 °C) in
27378-496: Was intended to divert traffic bound for the winery region and new development near West Richland, was proposed by local politicians in the early 2000s but failed to earn funding from the state. The project was postponed in September 2019 after federal officials stated that the traffic volumes would be too low to justify an interchange. Interstate Highway System [REDACTED] The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways , commonly known as
27547-413: Was opened in 1997. The Market at the Parkway in Richland, WA is a farmers market with takes place every Friday from June through October. Local artists provide music and crafts, and Fresh produce, specialty foods, arts and crafts are sold at the Richland farmers market. The Pasco Farmers Market, which celebrated 25 years in 2013, takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning beginning in May through
27716-422: Was proclaimed complete in 1992, but two of the original Interstates— I-95 and I-70 —were not continuous: both of these discontinuities were due to local opposition, which blocked efforts to build the necessary connections to fully complete the system. I-95 was made a continuous freeway in 2018, and thus I-70 remains the only original Interstate with a discontinuity. I-95 was discontinuous in New Jersey because of
27885-413: Was re-aligned onto the new freeway in 1985, replacing an earlier alignment that traveled through Wallula , while SR 14 was truncated to Plymouth and SR 143 was eliminated. The final section of I-82 within Washington state, spanning 17 miles (27 km) from Kiona to an interchange south of Kennewick, was dedicated on February 23, 1986, and opened the following month. During construction of I-82,
28054-430: Was rebuilt from 2009 to 2011 using a series of roundabouts and a loop ramp to replace the existing freeway ramps. In 2010, two overpasses carrying I-82 were demolished and replaced with new structures that would accommodate a future widening project. A separate proposal in the early 2010s included a third lane for I-82 in northern Yakima, but it was postponed in favor of the building of a new interchange and east–west road at
28223-494: Was serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II . In 1954, Eisenhower appointed General Lucius D. Clay to head a committee charged with proposing an interstate highway system plan. Summing up motivations for the construction of such a system, Clay stated, It was evident we needed better highways. We needed them for safety, to accommodate more automobiles. We needed them for defense purposes, if that should ever be necessary. And we needed them for
28392-435: Was spent in Washington and $ 29 million (equivalent to $ 64.5 million in 2023 dollars) was spent in Oregon. I-80N was renumbered to I-84 in 1980 as part of a mandate by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to eliminate suffixed routes and reduce traveler confusion. The designation of I-82 fell outside the standard numbering scheme for Interstates, which uses comparatively higher numbers for
28561-409: Was transferred to the new highway and the Yakima Canyon route became SR 821 , a scenic highway. Major construction in the Yakima Valley began in 1977 with the building of a $ 5 million section (equivalent to $ 18.3 million in 2023 dollars) between Zillah and Granger, and a bypass of Prosser estimated to cost $ 7.2 million (equivalent to $ 24.4 million in 2023 dollars). Freeway construction
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