User:ComputerGuy890100/Sandbox/US 101

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

U.S. Route 101
Maintained by WSDOT
Length:	365.56 mi[1] (588.31 km)
North end:	I-5 in Tumwater
Major junctions:	SR 8 near Olympia SR 3 in Shelton US 12 in Aberdeen SR 6 in Raymond SR 4 near Ilwaco
South end:	US 101 towards Astoria
State highways in Washington < SR 100 SR 102 > Lists: current - Interstates - 1937-70 - 1964 renumbering

In the U.S. state of Washington, U.S. Route 101 is the westernmost all-coast highway through the Olympic Peninsula. It runs from Tumwater north to the city of Port Angeles, Washington, which is the most northern point of the highway, then going west to the community of Beaver, north of Forks, and finally south through Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Raymond, and finally to Megler where it departs on the Astoria-Megler Bridge.^[2]

Contents 1 Route Description 2 History 3 Major Intersections 4 U.S. Route 101 Alternative 5 References 6 See Also

[edit] Route Description

The easternmost point of US 101 in Washington is the so-called "north end" of US 101, which is not the northernmost point of the highway. US 101 starts at I-5 in the town of Tumwater, near the capital city of Washington, Olympia.The first segment of the highway is a full 6-lane freeway from I-5 in Tumwater to the small interchange with SR 8 northwest of Olympia. The route then turns north and northwest to Shelton, where SR 3 begins.

US 101 then turns northeast to soon meet up with SR 106 and the western shore of the Hood Canal, which it follows until the highway follows the western shore of Dabob Bay. After following for a short distance, the highway goes northwest, then north, and northeast again, making a half-loop to Quilcene. The roadway goes completely north and meets up with SR 104 along the way.

After meeting the western end of SR 104, the highway continues north to Discovery Bay where SR 20 ends. The road then turns northeast and follows the shore of Discovery Bay to Gardiner, where it turns southwest to follow Sequim Bay and then northwest to Sequim, where the road becomes a short expressway of two lanes, complete with interchanges, on the south side of Sequim. The expressway ends at the western boundary of the City of Sequim.

The highway returned to the regular undivided highway it was until it enters Port Angeles, where it is split into two streets (one for westbound and another for eastbound) through Downtown Port Angeles. After turning south to become a partial expressway southwest of Port Angeles, US 101 meets SR 117, to end the expressway and continue west to SR 112.

Later at the east shore of Lake Cresent, US 101 officially enters for the Olympic National Park for the first time. It stays in the park's boundaries until the line one-mile away from the western shore of Lake Cresent. The highway then goes west for its final east-west segment, while meeting up with SR 113 before reaching Lake Pleasent and Beaver.

At Beaver, US 101 turned south towards Forks. After going even further south and then turning southwest, US 101 reaches Olympic National Park again on the Pacific coast. After exiting the park's boundaries, the roadway enters the Quinault Indian Reservation. After going east to Lake Quinault, US 101 breifly is out of the reservation's boundaries, in an area surrounded by the Olympic National Park and Indian Reservation. After entering and exiting east of the reservation, the roadway turns south towards Hoquiam.

In Downtown Hoquiam, SR 109 meets US 101. After turning east, US 101 intersects with the western end of US 12 in Aberdeen. After crossing the Chehalis River, US 101 intersects with the north end of SR 105, which eventually meets again in Raymond.

Southeast of Cosmopolis, US 101 intersects with SR 107. After going south to Raymond, US 101 intersects SR 105's south end and SR 6's western end.

After passing south of Raymond, US 101 turns west and then south again to intersect SR 4's western end. Soon, the highway turns southwest to intersect with US 101 Alternative, which is a shortcut to US 101.

The highway goes west and then south and finally east to Ilwaco. After going east beck to US 101 Alternative, US 101 finally turns southeast to intersect SR 401 and turn south on the Astoria-Megler Bridge to Astoria, Oregon.

[edit] History

Before U.S. Route 101 was created, two roads existed in the place of US 101. They were State Road 9 and State Road 12. These were two roads that were part of the early Washington State Road system that was created in 1923. US 101 was created in 1926 and was co-signed with these two routes. US 101 took part of State Road 9's route and part of State Road 12's route.

In 1937, the Washington State Legislature established a new system, the Primary and secondary system.^[3] State Road 9 became Primary State Highway 9 or PSH 9. State Road 12 became PSH 12, and they both held the co-signed designation with US 101.^[4]

There was nothing changed about US 101's route from 1937 to 1956. In 1956, President Harry S. Truman signed the Interstate Highway Act into law. This elimated part of the U.S. Route system and encouraged Washington's Legislature to once again change the highway system.

In January 1964, the Washington State Legislature and the Washington Department of Highways (renamed WSDOT) approved a new state route system with no branches or secondary route with names, but a full system that lives on today. PSH 9 and PSH 12 became part of U.S. Route 101 with no co-designation and parts of them became other new state routes.^[5]

[edit] Major Intersections

[edit] U.S. Route 101 Alternative

U.S. Route 101 Alternative
Maintained by WSDOT
Length:	0.61 mi[1] (0.98 km)
Formed:	1931 (Recognized, 2006)
North end:	US 101 near Ilawaco
South end:	US 101 near Ilwaco
State highways in Washington < SR 100 SR 102 > Lists: current - Interstates - 1937-70 - 1964 renumbering

U.S. Route 101 Alternative is the alternative bypass of Ilwaco for travelers of US 101. US 101 Alt. opened in 1931 as a branch of PSH 12, the early designation of the southern section of US 101 through Washington. The highway was not fully recognized by the AASHTO until October 2006, even though many maps from the 1930's state that it is part of the U.S. Route system.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] See Also

• U.S. Route 101
• State highways in Washington
• List of U.S. Routes in Washington
• United States Numbered Highways

	v • d • e State highways in Washington related to US 101
SR 100 - SR 102 - SR 103 - SR 104 - SR 105 (Spur) - SR 106 - SR 107 - SR 108 - SR 109 - SR 110 - SR 112 - SR 113 - SR 115 - SR 116 - SR 117 - SR 119
Former or proposed State Routes: SR 111

U.S. Route 101
Previous state: Terminus	Washington	Next state: Oregon