Washington State Route 240

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State Route 240
Auxiliary route of

SR 24

Defined by RCW 47.17.455, maintained by WSDOT

Length:

41.34 mi^[1] (66.53 km)

Formed:

1964

West end:

SR 24 near the Hanford Reservation

Major
junctions:

SR 225 near West Richland

SR 224 in Richland

I-182/US 12 in Richland

East end:

US 395 in Kennewick

State highways in Washington
< SR 231		SR 241 >
Lists: current - Interstates - 1937-70 - 1964 renumbering

State Route 240 is a busy state highway servicing the Tri-Cities of Washington and the Hanford Site. Its eastern end begins at the southern end of the Blue Bridge in central Kennewick as an offshoot of U.S. Route 395. It continues as a freeway through northern Kennewick just south of the Columbia River—passing near the Columbia Center Mall on the way—all the way up to Richland, where it effectively enters into town as the heavily-traveled George Washington Way at the interchange with Interstate 182. However, it is possible to continue on the highway (though it is no longer a freeway after the Interstate 182 interchange) by taking an exit and traveling around the west side of town—the highway is known for that stretch of land as the "Bypass Highway". This name, given when the highway actually avoided most of the rush-hour gridlock and constant stoplights of George Washington Way, is somewhat ironic nowadays as the six stoplights on this section of the highway impede drivers just as the traffic-laden main street has for decades.

In any case, after traveling north for roughly five miles, the road itself continues northward as Stevens Drive, but the highway itself goes on as an offshoot, this time heading to the northwest. The highway enters the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and goes on for dozens of miles. Eventually, it ends in State Route 24. Going north onto Highway 24 leads to Interstate 90 and George, Washington; going west instead leads to Yakima, Washington.

Due to the heavy traffic pressed upon the highway during rush hour, the road underwent significant construction from the Columbia Center Boulevard exit in Kennewick all the way up through the first mile or so of George Washington Way. This included demolition of the fifty year-old four-lane bridge that spanned the Yakima River, where in its place two four-lane bridges were constructed. A more controversial change came at the eastbound exit to Columbia Park Trail, where a two-lane roundabout intersection - which connects the exit, Columbia Park Trail and Steptoe Avenue - was constructed. The work was completed in early June of 2007, several months ahead of schedule.

[edit] Major intersections

The entire route is in Benton County.

Location	Mile^[1]	Destinations	Notes
	0.00	SR 24 – Othello, Vantage, Yakima
	20.48	SR 225 south – Benton City
Richland	28.86	Stevens Drive – Hanford, Richland	Former SR 240 east
	29.66	Richland Airport
	30.25	SR 224 west – West Richland
	32.99	Aaron Drive, Wellsian Way	Interchange westbound; at-grade intersection eastbound
	West end of freeway
	33.10	I-182 west (US 12 west) to I-82 – Yakima, Pendleton	West end of I-182/US 12 overlap
	34.22	I-182 east (US 12 east) – Pasco	East end of I-182/US 12 overlap
	34.22	George Washington Way	Former SR 240 west
	35.91	Columbia Drive	Former US 12 west
	37.07	Columbia Center Boulevard
Kennewick	38.65	Edison Street
	40.74	Columbia Park	Westbound exit and entrance
	41.34	US 395 – Pasco, Spokane, Umatilla
	41.34	Kennewick City Center	Continuation beyond US 395