Misplaced Pages

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44-653: Washington State Route 24 extends from Mattawa, Washington on the western edge of the Slope nearly due east–west. Mattawa is the only population center on the Slope. There was once a town of Wahluke and a Wahluke ferry that crossed the Columbia to the north of White Bluffs. The land was acquired by the U.S. government for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the residents, including Wanapum people, ordered to leave in 1943. In two actions in 1953 and 1958

88-577: A tug -and-barge ferry. During World War II , the U.S. military selected the Hanford area as the site of a major weapons development facility and a section of SSH 11A was acquired via a request of the Secretary of War filed on July 21, 1943. The 28-mile (45 km) section, located between Cold Creek and Hanford, was closed permanently to non-military traffic on November 15, 1943, and divided SSH 11A into two disconnected highways. The rest of

132-504: A Battlefield Surveillance Brigade once again increased training levels at Yakima Training Center. Major improvements to the installation increased its capability to support training. Another major range project, the Multi-Purpose Training Range, was completed; 250 miles of high quality road were constructed; a state-of-the-art Wash Rack facility, a new fuel facility, and an expanded Ammunition Supply Point enhanced

176-524: A division. However, in 1971 the 9th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Lewis, and in 1974 their first divisional exercise, Bold Fire, marked the return of the active Army to Yakima Firing Center. Users of the Yakima Firing Center continued to grow over the next several years. The single largest exercise ever conducted at Yakima Firing Center occurred in 1976, when 6,000 active, reserve, and National Guard, and sister services converged on

220-513: A ferry across the Columbia River at White Bluffs , and a road continuing to Connell, bypassing Othello . The state government did not improve the gravel county roads that encompassed SSH 11A, but did relocate its toll-free ferry from White Bluffs to Hanford in May 1938. The Hanford ferry was initially planned to use a cable-operated system, but costs forced it to be downgraded to

264-722: A large maneuver area in the Pacific Northwest and appointed a board of officers to negotiate with local landowners to lease 160,000 acres in the Yakima area. In 1941, just prior to World War II , military units in the Pacific Northwest began using the Yakima Anti-Aircraft Artillery Range for range firing and small unit tests; and in 1942 the first temporary buildings were constructed on Umptanum Ridge about eight miles northeast of

308-595: A large-scale evacuation of the Hanford area. The west end of SSH 11A was truncated to the newly-opened Yakima bypass (part of I-82 ) in November 1963. The Vernita Bridge began construction in October 1964 and was opened to traffic on October 1, 1965, replacing the state-run ferry. The bridge was funded using $ 3 million in bonds (equivalent to $ 22.1 million in 2023 dollars) that were paid off using

352-608: A major highway connecting to the Tri-Cities , at the northeast corner of the reserve. SR 24 turns north at the junction and travels along the northwest edge of the Hanford Site , flanked by fences on both sides of the road. The highway descends from the plateau by turning west and returning to its northerly course, eventually reaching a rest area on the south shore of the Columbia River . SR 24 crosses

396-425: A series of passing lanes along SR 24 between Silver Dollar and Cold Creek in response to increased truck traffic. Yakima Training Center The Yakima Training Center ( YTC ) is a United States Army training center, used for maneuver training , Land Warrior system testing and as a live fire exercise area. It is located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Washington , bounded on

440-423: A toll of 75 cents to $ 2.50 collected until 1977. During the 1964 state highway renumbering , SSH 11A was divided between three new state highways under the sign route system: State Route 24 (SR 24) from Yakima to the junction with SSH 11G (now SR 17), SR 170 from Ringold on the Columbia River to Mesa , and SR 260 between Mesa and Connell. The Ringold section of SR 170

484-692: Is a state highway in the south-central region of Washington , in the United States. It travels 79 miles (127 km) from Yakima to Othello , across a portion of the Columbia Plateau . The highway crosses the Columbia River on the Vernita Bridge , located near the Hanford Site . SR 24 terminates to the west at an interchange with Interstate 82 (I-82) in Yakima and to the east at SR 26 in Othello. The highway

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528-537: Is also used by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force for exercises. From 1942 to 1946 the U.S. Army leased 160,000 acres (650 km ) of land in the area for the Yakima Anti-Aircraft Artillery Range. Then in 1951 the Army purchased 261,000 acres (1,060 km ) for the Yakima Firing Center, which would become the modern Yakima Training Center. The United States Army identified a need for

572-698: Is undulating and dominated by three east-west parallel ridges, the Saddle Mountains , Manastash Ridge , and Umtanum Ridge anticlines , which are part of the Yakima Fold Belt near the western edge of the Columbia River Plateau . Vegetation consists of sagebrush , bitterbrush , and bunch grass . Vagabond Army Airfield and Selah Airstrip are located on the Yakima Training Center. The training center

616-618: The Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge and into Adams County . The highway leaves the Hanford Reach National Monument and forms the boundary between Adams and Franklin counties for several miles, briefly turning to cross a section of the Saddle Mountains . Near the former Othello Air Force Station , SR 24 turns north and follows Radar Road through farmland on the outskirts of Othello . After entering Othello,

660-689: The SunDome arena. SR 24 travels southeasterly from the interchange as a four-lane divided highway and crosses the Yakima River into unincorporated Yakima County near Yakima Sportsman State Park . The highway narrows to two lanes and continues southeast along the Central Washington Railroad , a branch of the BNSF Railway , changing course to bypass the city of Moxee on its south side. SR 24 continues beyond

704-542: The United States Marine Corps conducted Operation Yakima Attack, which was a joint air/ground exercise of the type that illustrates the true value of Yakima Firing Center as a maneuver training area. During the Vietnam War era, Yakima Firing Center was used almost exclusively for U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard training; Fort Lewis had become a training center and no longer housed

748-659: The Atomic Energy Commission returned almost 200,000 acres (810 km) to public use, mostly for agriculture with irrigation recently provided by Columbia Basin Project sources. Settlement on the Slope by non-Native Americans has been termed as troubled, initially due to lack of water, then later by the Federal Government's land policies, resulting in "sporadic" growth of the town of Mattawa. The potential for release of nuclear contaminants into

792-461: The Columbia River between Vernita and White Bluffs, passing through a less-restricted portion of the Hanford Site. The road was built as part of an agreement between the state and federal governments that was negotiated during the lawsuit, as an alternative to re-opening SSH 11A across the Hanford restricted zone. A private toll ferry connecting SSH 11A at Vernita to SSH 7C on

836-598: The Columbia River on the Vernita Bridge , a 1,982-foot-long (604 m) steel truss bridge downriver from the Priest Rapids Dam . On the north side of the bridge in Grant County , the highway intersects SR 243 , which travels along the Columbia River towards Mattawa and Vantage . SR 23 turns northeast and follows the south wall of the Wahluke Slope before traveling due east across

880-631: The Multi-Purpose Range Complex was completed in 1988 and it opened for business in July 1989, and the Yakima Firing Center was renamed the YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER in 1990. The new name more accurately described the mission and capability of the installation. The force structure at Fort Lewis continued to change, and the stationing of three Stryker brigades from the 2nd Infantry Division, 1 Artillery and ADA Brigade and

924-770: The Silver Dollar Cafe, the highway intersects SR 241 , an auxiliary route that travels south towards Sunnyside . SR 24 continues northeast from the junction and enters Benton County , where it climbs a section of the Yakima Ridge and exits the valley. The highway crosses part of the Fitzner–Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve , a restricted wildlife preserve that forms part of the Hanford Reach National Monument . SR 24 meets SR 240 ,

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968-464: The Slope in the event of a nuclear accident, and the historical atmospheric releases in the ranges of many Curies per month, are of concern to modern authors on Hanford. Viniculture is a major agricultural activity on the Slope, with nearly 10,000 acres (40 km) of vineyards. 46°45′N 119°30′W  /  46.750°N 119.500°W  / 46.750; -119.500 Washington State Route 24 State Route 24 ( SR 24 )

1012-529: The Yakima Firing Center because of increasing training requirements and its future potential. In 1951, the Army bought 261,198 acres at a cost of $ 3.3 million. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Yakima Firing Center supported training activities and exercises for Fort Lewis units and the Washington Army National Guard . These exercises ranged up to division level and included major exercises named Hilltop, Applejack, and Cooly Crest. In 1965

1056-546: The center, requiring water filtration in East Selah, Washington . In addition to its role as a training facility, the Yakima facility has been asserted to play a major role in ECHELON , the global surveillance network operated by Five Eyes . The SIGINT portion of the facility is referred to as Yakima Research Station. The small Yakima intercept station remains an important means of intercepting COMINT passing through

1100-424: The current cantonment area. During the latter part of 1942 and 1943, another camp was built in the location of the present cantonment area and was named the Yakima Firing Center. The 9th Service Command assumed control of the Yakima Firing Center and supported training for numerous Army Reserve and National Guard infantry, artillery, and engineer units through the remainder of World War II. The Army decided to enlarge

1144-470: The east side of the Yakima River had worsened by the late 1990s and prompted the state government to consider a $ 35 million replacement and expansion project. The project was combined with a floodplain restoration plan proposed by the county government in response to a major flood in 1996 and originally considered building a second bridge upriver and realigning the highway. A revised plan placing

1188-688: The expanded maneuver area. Yakima Training Center provides training support for transient units and organizations by sustaining training lands, range complexes, and support facilities in order to enhance readiness. The installation's customers include not only the Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Army National Guard units, but also U.S. Special Operations Command , Marine Corps, Air Force , Navy , and Coast Guard units, plus local and federal law enforcement agencies and allied forces from Canada and Japan. Decades of use of fire-suppressant foam containing PFAS contaminated groundwater around

1232-429: The higher replacement bridge next to the existing crossing, saving costs and environmental mitigation for 7 acres (2.8 ha) of wetlands , was adopted in 2002 and funded by the legislature's 2003 Nickel Program gas tax. Construction on the new bridge and the widened four-lane highway began in May 2005 and was dedicated on June 28, 2007, costing a total of $ 54.5 million. In 2008, the state government also built

1276-546: The highway becomes Broadway Avenue and continues through an industrial area before terminating at an underpass with SR 26 . The two highways are connected via an extension of 1st Avenue on both sides of the underpass. SR 24 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on the state's highways to measure traffic volume in terms of annual average daily traffic . The busiest section of

1320-401: The highway had been paved by the state government in the early 1940s, with the exception of a section west of Connell that remained gravel. SSH 11A was relocated in 1953 to a crossing of the Columbia River north of Cold Creek at Vernita and would continue along a new highway along the Columbia River to the east end of the former Hanford ferry. The state government had initially expected

1364-486: The highway to re-open after the war, but continued use of Hanford for weapons and energy development prompted them to file a lawsuit against the federal government to seek reimbursement to fund construction of the new highway around the site. The U.S. District Court 's decision to award only $ 1 in nominal damages in 1952 was upheld by a decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals two years later, citing

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1408-625: The highway, at its interchange with I-82, carried a daily average of 23,000 vehicles in 2016; the least busiest section of the highway, northeast of the Vernita Bridge, carried only 1,100 vehicles. A short section between I-82 and Faucher Road in Moxee is designated as a MAP-21 arterial under the National Highway System , a network of roads identified as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility. SR 24

1452-493: The installation for Joint Training Exercise Brave Shield. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the 9th Division and the Washington Army National Guard trained extensively on the installation. They conducted tank gunner, extensive maneuver exercises and tests. New equipment was frequently tested at Yakima Firing Center because of its rugged, austere conditions. The new equipment provided greater mobility and

1496-438: The new weapons had greater range, so the Army determined that more area was required. In 1987, actions began that resulted in the acquisition of more than 63,000 acres at a cost of $ 18 million following congressional approval in 1992. During this period, other major changes occurred for Yakima Firing Center. The 9th Infantry Division deactivated at Fort Lewis, and a brigade from the 7th Infantry Division moved in; construction of

1540-523: The north side of the river began operating in November 1957 and was taken over by the state in May 1961. The state government completed construction of the paved 8.3-mile (13.4 km) highway along the Wahluke Slope on May 19, 1961, extending SSH 11A to a junction with SSH 11G south of Othello. As part of the agreement with the federal Atomic Energy Commission , the highway was ringed by fences and signs prohibiting parking and loitering, as well as controlled traffic signals that would allow for

1584-598: The plethora of Intelsat and other international communications satellites orbiting geosynchronously above the earth. In April 2013, the Yakima Herald reported that the Yakima Research Station was going to be shut down at some unspecified time in the future with its function moving to a facility in Colorado . The office of Congressman Doc Hastings , in whose district the facility is located,

1628-662: The railroad's terminus and runs deeper into the Moxee Valley, an irrigated area situated between the Yakima Ridge and Yakima Training Center to the north and the Rattlesnake Hills to the south. At the east end of the valley, SR 24 turns northeast and crosses through a narrow pass in the hills before reaching the Black Rock Valley, which it continues across. Midway through the valley at

1672-472: The state's delay in identifying a suitable alternate route. In response, Representative Donald H. Magnuson introduced a Congressional bill to reimburse $ 581,721 to the state (equivalent to $ 4.83 million in 2023 dollars), but it was vetoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in September 1957. From January 1954 to December 1955, Army Corps of Engineers constructed a dirt road on the north side of

1716-472: The west by Interstate 82 , on the south by the city of Yakima , on the north by the city of Ellensburg and Interstate 90 , and on the east by the Columbia River . It is a part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord . It comprises 327,000 acres (132,332 hectares) of land, most of which consists of shrub-steppe , making it one of the largest areas of shrub-steppe habitat remaining in Washington state. The terrain

1760-467: Was added to Washington's state highway system in 1937 as Secondary State Highway 11A (SSH 11A), which traveled from Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3) and US 410 in Yakima to PSH 11 and US 395 in Connell . The highway was preceded by several unpaved roads built by county governments along the corridor by the 1910s, including a road across the Moxee and Black Rock valleys,

1804-532: Was added to the state highway system in 1937 as Secondary State Highway 11A (SSH 11A), composed of several county-built gravel roads from Yakima to Connell , with a ferry crossing at Hanford . The Hanford section of SSH 11A was closed in 1943 due to wartime activities at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, forcing the state government to relocate the highway to the north side of the Columbia River. The new highway opened in 1961 and

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1848-508: Was later transferred to Franklin County in 1967, per a clause in a 1963 highway bill that was triggered by the completion of SR 240 . SR 24 was formally codified in 1970, with its eastern terminus changed to a junction with SR 26 south of downtown Othello. The Othello link was built by the end of the decade, effectively completing all of SR 24. Congestion on a two-mile (3.2 km) section of SR 24 between I-82 and

1892-768: Was notified by the NSA in summer 2012 that the facility was going to be shut down. This was subsequently confirmed, with the Navy posting an OPNAV notice of closure. The functions of the facilities will be moved to the Aerospace Data Facility at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and result in the loss of 100 or more jobs from the Yakima area. According to James Bamford , the facility's focus on satellite communications led to its closure. "That's history now", said Bamford in 2013. " Cyberspace and [supercomputers] are

1936-531: Was supplanted by the new Vernita toll bridge in 1965. During the 1964 state highway renumbering , SR 24 replaced most of SSH 11A and was rerouted to a terminus in Othello. SR 24 begins in eastern Yakima as an extension of Nob Hill Boulevard at a diamond interchange with I-82 and the concurrent US 12 and US 97 . The interchange is located southeast of the Central Washington State Fairgrounds and

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